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From US · CT scan · China

CT scan in China from the US: what the trip costs against paying at home

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For Americans, a CT scan in China costs $270–$420 at the clinic we checked, or about $1,480 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about $1,120 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the US ($355).

Clinic price
$270–$4201 provider, one CT scan of one body area
With travel
$1,480clinic $270 + about $1,210 travel (rough estimate)
Pay privately in US
$355
Wait in US
No national waiting list
Cover in US
Medicare Part B covers a CT scan your provider orders; you pay 20% after the deductible. Private plans set their own rules.
Soonest booking there
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from US
2 of 3 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in USD

Trip total $1,480$1,120 over home

Lowest published clinic price and a rough travel estimate from the US (return flight and hotel); the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. The travel part is an estimate, not a quote.

Figure 2CT scan: cheapest trip from the US, by country

Total trip in USD: lowest to highest published price plus the same rough travel estimate. The dashed line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Click a country for its page for Americans.

Hospitals in China that offer a CT scan

These hospitals run a service for international patients and offer a CT scan. Open one for how to book and what it publishes.

Published CT scan prices in China

Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.

CT scan prices in China
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Jiahui International HospitalShanghaiCN¥1,800about £202 · €241 · C$378 · $270CT without contrastSite states 'All prices in RMB.'Jiahui International Hospitalread 27 October 2026
Jiahui International HospitalShanghaiCN¥2,800about £314 · €375 · C$587 · $420CT with contrastSite states 'All prices in RMB.'Jiahui International Hospitalread 27 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.

The low prices are official maximums for the ordinary service of public hospitals, where few staff speak English. International departments and private hospitals cost far more: Shanghai International Medical Center lists ¥3,500 for an MRI of one site against the city's public cap of ¥430 (SIMC, Shanghai notice).

Entry. China's Foreign Ministry announced visa-free stays of up to 30 days for holders of ordinary British and Canadian passports from 17 February 2026 (MFA, in Chinese); the Chinese embassy in Canada lists Canada, the UK and Ireland among the unilateral visa-free countries until 31 December 2026 (embassy page, in Chinese). The 240-hour transit visa-free scheme now covers 57 countries and needs a confirmed onward ticket to a third country (Xinhua). We did not find an official page confirming visa-free entry for US citizens. Rules change: check before you book.

Against waiting or paying in the US

The US has no national public waiting list; what matters is the price your insurer or the hospital charges.

Paying privately in the US: $355, from Georgia Health Imaging. These are 2021 hospital cash-price medians or a dental school estimate, so today’s prices are probably higher.

Can your insurer pay?

Ask your insurer before you book. Plans rarely pay for planned treatment abroad unless they have agreed in writing first.

Planning the trip from the US

  1. Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a CT scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goTake your referral letter, or the question your doctor wants the scan to answer.
  3. Before you goTell the clinic in advance about kidney problems, diabetes medicines or an allergy to contrast dye.
  4. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: US citizens (State Department, choose the country).
  5. LanguageMandarin; English is reliable only in international departments and private hospitals.
  6. After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images.
  7. After you returnIf the scan finds something, the follow-up normally happens at home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Compare China with every other country for a CT scan from the US: price, how soon, and the hospitals.

Open the calculator

Related pages

CT scan in China from the US: questions

How much is a CT scan in China for Americans?

The published prices we found work out at $270–$420 at the clinic, from Jiahui International Hospital. Adding a rough travel estimate of $1,210 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about $1,480. Your own fares and dates will change that part.

Is it cheaper than paying privately in the US?

No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is $355, about $1,120 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to China.

How long is the wait for a CT scan in the US?

There is no national public waiting list in the US; the question is usually the price your insurer pays.

How many days do I need in China?

1 day for the scan and the report. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.

Will my insurer pay for it?

Ask your insurer before booking. Most plans pay little or nothing for planned treatment abroad unless they agree in advance.

Sources

  1. Centres and specialties. Jiahui International Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
  2. Self-pay imaging prices. Georgia Health Imaging. Read 27 October 2026.
  3. Price list (service guide). Shanghai International Medical Center (SIMC). Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Hu Yi Bao Jia Cai Fa [2025] No. 11 (沪医保价采发〔2025〕11号): radiology examination prices (in Chinese). Shanghai Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, 16 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Foreign Ministry spokesperson on visa-free entry for Canada and the UK from 17 February 2026 (in Chinese). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, 15 February 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Unilateral visa-free policy (单方面免签) (in Chinese). Embassy of the PRC in Canada, May 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. 240-hour transit visa-free policy extended to 57 countries (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency, 20 August 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  8. Diagnostic non-laboratory tests. Medicare.gov. Read 27 October 2026.
  9. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.