McDonald's is getting criticism from customers because they've raised the prices on some of their most popular menu items, like the Big Mac.

Usually, McDonald's is known as a place where you can grab a meal without spending too much money. Families often stop by when they're traveling, but one hungry customer got a surprise when they saw the prices.

Sam Learner, who lives in the US, went to a McDonald's on the southbound side of I-95 in Darien, Connecticut, and couldn't believe what he saw.

He shared his surprise on Twitter: "This was at a rest stop, but these McDonald's prices are nuts right???"

In his tweet, Learner shared screenshots of the McDonald's menu, showing options like the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with cheese, McNuggets, and the Filet-O-Fish.

Normally, you'd expect to pay less than $10 for a meal. However, Learner's post revealed some surprising prices. For a Big Mac meal with fries and a drink, it was $17.59 (£13.69).

Even more surprisingly, a Quarter Pounder with cheese meal cost $17.99 (£14), and if you wanted to add bacon, it went up to $18.99 (£14.78).

Many other Twitter users were equally surprised by the prices, and one person reacted: "That cannot be right."

Another user called the cost "outrageous," and a third user commented: "This has to be a mistake. Maybe the $1 was added by accident. At least I hope."

Someone else expresses: "Fast food! Not a restaurant!? And to be honest with you, I don't even know if I pay that much for a restaurant meal!"

"Inflation is going to kill us that live right around the poverty line. I'm sad and disgusted to be an American."

A website for the fast-food place where you can order food to go confirmed that the prices were high for everything on the menu. For example, a Sausage Egg Cheese Bagel Meal was listed at $19.39 (£15.09).

Even though these prices are really high, McDonald's website explains that the costs can be different at each restaurant. That's because 90 percent of them are owned and run by franchisees, and these franchise owners can decide on their own prices.

According to McDonald's, they work with outside experts to get price comparisons and insights. However, the final decision on menu prices is up to the franchise owners who run each restaurant. This can lead to different prices depending on where you are.

The prices might have gone up recently because the cost of living, which affects things like food prices and bills, has been going up too.