It now costs nearly $40 to take a date to McDonald's

McDonald's new customizable burgers are expensive.

YouTube star Casey Neistat discovered that first-hand when he visited a McDonald's in New York and ended up paying nearly $38 for two burgers, two waters, a milkshake, and a large order of french fries.

Neistat tweeted this photo of his receipt:

According to the receipt, Neistat ordered the burgers from McDonald's new "Create Your Taste" kiosks, which allow people to customize their orders with premium toppings and sauces.

One of Neistat's burgers cost $16.55. He was charged extra for toppings like bacon and pepper jack cheese.

The other burger cost $10.36, which is more in line with what Business Insider paid during a "Create Your Taste" test. That's about twice the cost of a Big Mac meal.

Neistat also ordered two bottled waters ($3.58), a chocolate shake ($1.60) and a large order of fries ($2.69).

The total was $37.87 including tax.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The kiosks are one of many steps the chain is taking to stop the bleeding from seven straight quarters of sales declines in the US.

The company is also slimming down its menu and improving its burgers by making them bigger and toasting the buns longer, in addition to taking other measures.

McDonald's is hoping the kiosks attract new customers, as well as encourage existing customers to spend more on their orders.

But some franchisees have warned that the kiosks will slow down service and complicate things in the kitchen. The customizable burgers take seven to eight minutes to prepare, which is an eternity in the fast-food industry.

"McDonald's management does not know what we want to be," one franchisee told Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski earlier this year. "Expensive (and slow) custom burgers in the same restaurant where we sell the Dollar Menu?"

Franchisees have also complained about the cost of the kiosks. The technology is expected to cost them between $120,000 and $160,000 to implement.