MRI scan · Mexico
MRI scan in Mexico: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 1 published price for an MRI scan in Mexico, from 11,278.23 MXN, or about £449 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £249 to £380 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- 11,278.23 MXNabout £449 · about €536 · about C$840 · about $600
- Price is for
- one body area (for example a knee, the brain or the lower spine), without contrast unless stated
- Where
- Tijuana
- Providers
- 1 (Hospital MAC Tijuana)
- Time there
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
- NHS England wait
- 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Published MRI scan prices in Mexico
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital MAC TijuanaTijuana | 11,278.23 MXNabout £449 · €536 · C$840 · $600 | MRI of the dorsal and lumbar spine, without contrastPublic list price including 16% VAT (IVA). Two spine regions in one exam. The list does not say whether the radiologist’s report is a separate fee. Valid 1 September to 31 December 2026. | Hospitales MACread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Tijuana and Los Algodones sit on the US border, and the clinics here quote in US dollars. Hospital MAC's list is a general public price list valid to 31 December 2026; the dental and eye clinics do not date their pages.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Mexico price converted to that currency. The Mexico figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 22.0% waiting over 6 weeksEngland, August 2026 | £249 to £380 | £449before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 daysCanada (national), 2025 | C$749 to C$799 | C$840before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | No official figure found | €310 | €536before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $1,5302021 hospital data or a dental school | $600before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Mexico next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the MRI scan and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
- Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
- LanguageSpanish; border clinics that serve US patients usually work in English.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
- After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens at home.
Can your public system pay for it?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach Mexico. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in Mexico is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
When not to travel for an MRI scan
- Symptoms that need urgent care: sudden weakness, numbness, severe headache, loss of bladder or bowel control. Go to an emergency department at home.
- Anyone with a pacemaker, some implants, metal fragments or a cochlear implant until the clinic has checked them.
- A scan your home doctor has not asked for: without a referral there may be nobody at home to act on the result.
How to compare MRI scan quotes
An MRI scanner uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of soft tissue: joints, the spine, the brain, the abdomen. Prices are quoted per body area, and a scan with contrast dye (an injection) costs more.
- Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three.
- Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
- Ask for the images on a disc or a download link in DICOM format, so a doctor at home can look at the pictures, not just the report.
- Contrast scans usually need a recent kidney blood test. Some clinics ask you to bring one.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Hospital MAC Tijuana, Tijuana: 11,278.23 MXN
Related comparisons
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- MRI scan in Poland
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- MRI scan in China
- Cataract surgery in Mexico
- Laser eye surgery in Mexico
- Dental implant in Mexico
- Veneers in Mexico
- Hip replacement in Mexico
- Knee replacement in Mexico
- Treatment in Mexico: every procedure
- Wait or Fly home: the calculator
MRI scan in Mexico: questions
How much does an MRI scan cost in Mexico?
The published prices we found range from 11,278.23 MXN, about £449 or $600. They come from Hospital MAC Tijuana. Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is an MRI scan in Mexico cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £449, against about £249 to £380 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 2 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for an MRI scan in Mexico?
No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. Mexico is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.
How many days should I plan in Mexico?
1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking an MRI scan in Mexico?
Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three. Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
Sources
- Lista de precios público general, Hospital MAC Tijuana (valid 1 Sep to 31 Dec 2026). Hospitales MAC, 1 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.