Costco tweaks its $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what to know in NC

Costco’s iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo is getting a small update, giving shoppers a new way to enjoy the decades-old deal. The change is already showing up at North Carolina locations.

FULL STORY: Costco changes $1.50 hot dog and drink combo. What to expect at NC locations

Here are key takeaways:

• Shoppers can now swap the 20-ounce fountain drink for a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water, according to multiple reports.
• The price stays at $1.50, where it has held since 1985. The bottled water is also sold on its own for 25 cents.
• The new option was available as of Wednesday, April 29, at North Carolina Costco locations including Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Matthews.
• USA Today first reported the change, noting that “what’s new is the flexibility for shoppers who don’t want soda now have an official alternative.”
• Costco CEO Ron Vachris has vowed the hot dog combo price will not change. “The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around,” he said in a video on Instagram.
• Other food court items have gone up. The chicken bake jumped from $2.99 to $3.99 in recent years, and a 20-ounce soft drink rose 10 cents in 2022.
• Costco also recently debuted a seasonal caramel churro sundae and brought Coca-Cola fountain drinks back to its food court last summer.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Costco tweaks its $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what to know in NC."

Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

The News & Observer

919-419-6630

Kimberly Tutuska (she/her) is the editor of North Carolina’s service journalism team.