costco hot dog shoppers now have a new drink choice: a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water instead of a 20-ounce soda, still bundled with the $1.50 combo. For buyers who want water with lunch, the change swaps a refillable cup for a single bottle without changing the price.
The move is the first addition to the combo in 41 years. Costco has kept the hot dog and soda deal at $1.50 since 1985, and the hot dog combo is still available rather than being phased out.
Costco’s 41-Year Price Anchor
1.50 dollars is the fixed price that has defined the combo for decades, and the water option arrives without moving that number. Costco’s hot dogs have remained priced at $1.50 since their introduction in 1984, a rare constant in a food court where change has been limited.
245 million units is the scale Costco reached in 2025, showing why even a small menu adjustment gets noticed. The company’s hot dog sales remain tied to a deal that many shoppers treat as part of the warehouse experience, not just a lunch special.
Kirkland Water Replaces Soda Choice
16.9 ounces is the size of the new Kirkland Signature water bottle, while the classic soda option comes in a 20-ounce cup that can be refilled for free. Costco food court sodas sell for 0.79 dollars when purchased separately, and most Costcos have vending machines selling bottled water for a quarter.
A shopper reported that their Costco food court removed the vending machine, which helps explain why some customers are comparing the bottled water swap with the older quarter-priced option. The kiosk ordering system shown by @costcoaisles displayed two choices: hot dog and soda combo, and hot dog and water combo.
Sinegal’s Price Warning Still Echoes
Jim Sinegal once said, “If you raise (the price of the) [expletive] hot dog, I will kill you,” a line that still hangs over any change to the deal. The bottled water addition does not raise the combo price, but it does change what a shopper receives if they do not want soda.
@lindeenort wrote, “This doesn't make sense,” and added, “I noticed they removed the bottled water vending machine that was $.25 so shouldn't it be $1.25?” Another commenter wrote, “... if you don't drink soda, the 'loss' of money doesn't matter.” For shoppers choosing the combo today, the trade-off is simple: keep the same $1.50 price and pick either the familiar soda refill or a sealed bottle of water.
