Costco hot dogs in Canada: why the $1.50 combo never goes up, and the food court rules

Costco hot dogs in Canada cost $1.50 for the hot dog and drink combo, and Costco keeps that price on purpose, even though its own executives have said it loses money at $1.50. It's Costco's most famous promise: a price that says "you won't get gouged here", paid for by everything else you buy. Our advice: enjoy it, because the people running Costco have said on the record, again and again, that it isn't going up.

How much is a Costco hot dog in Canada?

$1.50 for the hot dog and a fountain drink. Daily Hive quoted the $1.50 combo in June 2025, and blogTO reported in 2024 that Canada's combo is the cheapest of any country Costco operates in. It's the same $1.50 Costco has charged in the U.S. since 1985, so in Canadian dollars it's an even better deal.

Why hasn't Costco raised the hot dog price?

Because the people at the top keep refusing to. The public record, from the stories that reported it:

Does Costco lose money on the $1.50 hot dog?

By its own executives' account, yes: Jelinek's "losing our rear ends" is the clearest admission on record, and Costco hasn't published the food court's margins since. That's the point. The combo is a loss leader: a cheap, memorable price that gets members through the door and makes the case that Costco's prices are fair, while the money is made on the cart, and on the membership fee. Sinegal's answer to the cost problem wasn't to raise the price; it was "figure it out".

Do you need a membership to eat at the Costco food court?

Officially, the food court is for members, and enforcement varies by warehouse. Costco's downtown Vancouver location posted signs saying an active membership card is required to buy from the food court from August 5, 2025, Daily Hive reported. A Gold Star membership costs $65 a year; see what each membership costs.

What else is on the Costco food court menu?

Pizza (by the slice or whole), the hot dog combo, and a rotating lineup of other items that varies by warehouse and changes over time. Unlike the hot dog, the other prices aren't a promise: they have gone up, and they differ between warehouses. Paid at the food court lately? Your receipt adds the prices to Cost Check and earns you points.

Is the Costco hot dog still worth it?

At $1.50 with a drink, it's hard to find anything cheaper to eat in a Canadian city, and few prices in retail have been defended this publicly for this long. It's also a useful reminder of how Costco works: the hot dog doesn't need to make money, because the membership and the cart do. If you'd shop at Costco anyway, the Executive membership math is a better place to look for real savings.