I tried the cheapest cheeseburgers at McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King, and the least expensive was the best

The cheeseburger from McDonald's cost $3.49, excluding tax.

I rarely get a regular cheeseburger from McDonald's; I usually prefer the larger, more elaborate burgers like the Quarter Pounder Deluxe with cheese or the chicken sandwiches.

I thought the bun was a touch limp and the cheese could have been more melted.

However, the condiments overpowered the taste of the burger patty — this cheeseburger really only tasted of cheese and ketchup to me. I didn't really taste the onions, though I thought the pickles were tart and crunchy.

The junior cheeseburger from Wendy's cost $3.74, excluding tax.

It came topped with one slice of American cheese, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun.

The cheese was more melted on this burger than on the one from McDonald's.

All of the ingredients, from the burger patty to the cheese and the thick slice of onion, really amplified the flavor of this palm-sized burger.

The bun held up well, and I thought all the ingredients made this burger worth $3.74, which was the highest price of the three burgers.

However, it still wasn't my favorite, or the most flavorful, cheeseburger.

The cheeseburger from Burger King cost $2.59, excluding tax.

This burger appeared to have a more generous serving of toppings compared to the other two cheeseburgers I tried.

I was anxious to see if this would lessen the burger's overall flavor, but it didn't.

The sesame-seed bun also added a lot of flavor — something I didn't get from the classic toasted buns at the other two chains.

However, the standout star of this burger was the patty itself.

The flame-grilled burger had a strong, smoky flavor that didn't overpower the other ingredients and was complemented perfectly by the ketchup and mustard.

Not only was this burger the most flavorful, but it was also the best value — at $2.59, it was the cheapest burger I tried.