An English expatriate received an unpleasant surprise when attempting to request a cheeseburger at a McDonald's establishment in Australia.

After a tiring day, Jenny Herriot, feeling famished, made the decision to appease her hunger pangs by visiting a McDonald's drive-thru, commonly referred to as "Macca's" in Australia.

Opting for a McChicken meal as her primary choice, Jenny Herriot indulged herself by including an additional cheeseburger as a delectable snack.

Initially anticipating a mere additional cost of 99p ($1.85 AUD), Jenny was taken aback when she discovered that the cheeseburger had unexpectedly inflated her total by $4.70.

"It's not all sunshine and rainbows here in Australia," she realized after the surprising encounter. "This one cut deep."

Jenny documented her unfortunate experience in a video, sharing the details of her ordeal.

"Another update from a Brit in Australia," she said. "On the topic of McDonald's, or Macca's, or whatever they call it."

Jenny recounted how she expressed her desire to include an extra side dish alongside her McChicken meal, and she also had a craving for a cheeseburger.

"As you do, you get a little snack from the savers menu, like the 99p ($1.85 AUD) menu just to go with it, so that you can snack on it before you eat the main meal," she said.

She added: "And I asked for a cheeseburger, and I didn't really know what to call it. I asked for the cheapy one, because I didn't want to say 'the 99p menu'."

Unbeknownst to Jenny, she was unaware of the absence of a dollar menu at McDonald's in Australia, and she soon discovered that burgers came with a considerably higher price tag.

"The 99p burger, is literally the exact same... but it's $4.70!" she exclaimed. "For literally like a standard cheeseburger?"

The exorbitant price also sparked outrage among numerous others.

"A couple years back they got rid of the dollar menu and the nation hasn't been the same since," a woman said.

"Macca's is so expensive!' an employee said, 'I work there to put orders through and get shocked at some prices."

"It's only worth it when you have a special on the app - otherwise I don't even bother," a third wrote.

Another added: "I don't eat Macca's anymore because it's so expensive. I can get a breakfast burger and a coffee at a café for the same price."

Yet another devoted McDonald's enthusiast fell victim to the unexpectedly exorbitant price.

The customer, having recently purchased a cheeseburger for $4.25, was taken aback upon noticing hamburgers listed on the menu for a mere $2.

The sole disparity between the two burgers lies in the presence of a single slice of cheese.

"When did a slice of cheese become more expensive than the whole burger?" he fumed.

The price discrepancy left other food enthusiasts equally perplexed.

Numerous individuals accused the fast food chain of engaging in customer exploitation, claiming they were being ripped off.

"Royal commission into cheeseburger prices," one user replied to the man's gripe while another asked: "Is it because they're ripping us off?."

"Yeah, I asked this question the other day, even the staff think it's ridiculous," a third recalled.

In a lighthearted manner, someone jestingly remarked that the price disparity could be attributed to a "cheese tax," while a restaurant worker highlighted the fact that cheese prices had escalated over the past few months.

"Work in a restaurant that uses a lot of cheese. Cost of cheese has gone through the roof in the last six to nine months. Killing my food costs," they explained.

Speculations arose among many, suggesting that the discrepancy in price could be attributed to the hamburger's inclusion on the Maccas Loose Change Menu.

"The $2 Hamburger is a promotion. The $4.25 Cheeseburger is regular price," one person explained.

Beyond the realms of the Loose Change Menu, the Hamburger typically costs around 75 cents less than the Cheeseburger, although there might be slight variations in prices from one restaurant to another.

Both burgers encompass identical fillings, including a beef patty, onions, pickles, as well as mustard and ketchup, with no discernible differences.

Certain ardent Maccas fans believed they had found a solution to obtain a more affordable cheeseburger, but their attempts were thwarted by an employee who promptly debunked their hacks.

"What happens if you order a Hamburger and cheese?" one person asked and another suggested: "Just get a hamburger and add cheese."

"I work at a Maccas. To all those asking if they can add cheese to the hamburger, you cannot. On the app it isn't listed. In store it's not on the machines or kiosks," the staff member replied.

One foodie shared their own cheeseburger trick: "I've brought a few of these hamburgers on my way home before and slapped a slice of Woolies smokey cheese slices on each one. Worked well."