US · Knee replacement
Knee replacement cost in the US vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in the US costs about $29,100 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at $6,520 in Thailand, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about $29,100
- Abroad, before travel
- about $6,520 to $13,000 in 4 countries
- Time abroad
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
The US figures are median hospital cash prices from a study of prices hospitals published in July 2021 (JAMA Network Open), the only national figures we found. Today's cash prices are probably higher, and your own insurer's price can be very different.
Paying privately in the US
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study)US hospitals | $29,097about £21,770 · €26,000 · C$40,720 | Median cash price, major joint replacement of the lower extremity without complications (DRG 470)Same DRG 470 line as for hip (hip and knee share one DRG). Median of 710 hospitals; middle half $17,735 to $45,214. Data from July 2021. Data from July 2021. | JAMA Network Openread 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.
Published prices abroad, in USD
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before flights, hotel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Knee replacement in Thailand | about $6,520 | $22,580 less |
| Knee replacement in Poland | about $6,570 to $9,910 | $22,530 less |
| Knee replacement in Hungary | about $7,170 | $21,920 less |
| Knee replacement in Mexico | about $13,000 | $16,100 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 10 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in the US.
When not to travel
- Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a knee replacement is the right operation.
- Serious heart or lung disease, or a recent blood clot, unless the hospital’s anaesthetist has reviewed you in advance.
- Anyone who cannot keep up daily exercises after surgery or has no help at home.
Next steps
Knee replacement from the US: questions
How much does a private knee replacement cost in the US?
about $29,100 at the providers we checked: Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study).
Where abroad is a knee replacement cheapest from the US?
Before travel: Thailand about $6,520, Poland about $6,570 to $9,910 and Hungary about $7,170. Add a return flight and 10 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a knee replacement abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the knee replacement should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Price transparency in hospitals: cash prices for common services (Jiang, Makary, Bai), JAMA Network Open. JAMA Network Open, via PubMed Central, 21 December 2021. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.