US · MRI scan
MRI scan cost in the US vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in the US costs about $1,530 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at $64 in China, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about $1,530
- Abroad, before travel
- about $64 to $600 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
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 | $1,534about £1,150 · €1,370 · C$2,150 | Median cash price, MRI of a leg joint (CPT 73721)Median of 1,530 hospitals’ published cash prices; the middle half ranged $967 to $2,298. Hospital data from July 2021, so today’s prices are likely higher. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| MRI scan in China | about $64 to $525 | $1,470 less |
| MRI scan in Poland | about $166 to $237 | $1,370 less |
| MRI scan in Hungary | about $177 | $1,360 less |
| MRI scan in Thailand | about $293 | $1,240 less |
| MRI scan in Mexico | about $600 | $934 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 2 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in the US.
When not to travel
- 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.
Next steps
MRI scan from the US: questions
How much does a private MRI scan cost in the US?
about $1,530 at the providers we checked: Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study).
Where abroad is a MRI scan cheapest from the US?
Before travel: China about $64 to $525, Poland about $166 to $237 and Hungary about $177. Add a return flight and 2 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a MRI scan abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the MRI scan 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.