From Canada · MRI scan · Mexico

MRI scan in Mexico from Canada: what the trip costs against the wait at home

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For Canadians, an MRI scan in Mexico costs C$840 at the clinic we checked, or about C$1,720 once an example return flight and 2 hotel nights are added. That is about C$971 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in Canada (C$749).

Clinic price: C$8401 provider, one body area
Example trip: C$1,720clinic C$840 + flight C$600 + 2 hotel nights C$280
Pay privately in Canada: C$749–C$799
Wait in Canada: Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days (2025)
Time there: 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
Rank from Canada: 2 of 5 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in CAD

Clinic C$840Flight C$600Hotel C$280Home C$749

Trip total C$1,720C$971 over home

Lowest published clinic price, an example return fare from Canada and 2 hotel nights at C$140; the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Examples, not quotes.

Figure 2MRI scan: cheapest trip from Canada, by country

PolandC$1,710–C$1,810

MexicoC$1,720

ChinaC$1,770–C$2,410

HungaryC$1,830

ThailandC$2,290

Total trip in CAD: lowest to highest published price plus the same example flight and hotel rules. The dashed line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Click a country for its page for Canadians.

Published MRI scan prices in Mexico

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.

MRI scan prices in Mexico
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.

Against waiting or paying in Canada

Canada (national), 2025: Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days. Days from the decision to scan to the MRI: median, and the wait that 1 in 10 people exceeded. Waits and prices for an MRI scan in Canada.

Paying privately in Canada: C$749–C$799, from Insight Medical Imaging.

Can your provincial plan pay?

Ask your provincial health plan before you book. We have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad yet, and they differ by province.

Planning the trip from Canada

Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for an MRI scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with 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.
Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca).
LanguageSpanish; border clinics that serve US patients usually work in English.
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.

Add your flight and hotel

Put in your real fare from Canada and your hotel to see the total for Mexico next to every other country.

Open the calculator

MRI scan in Mexico from Canada: questions

How much is an MRI scan in Mexico for Canadians?

The published prices we found work out at C$840 at the clinic, from Hospital MAC Tijuana. With an example return flight of C$600 and 2 hotel nights at C$140, the trip comes to about C$1,720. Your own fares and dates will change the total.

Is it cheaper than paying privately in Canada?

No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is C$749, about C$971 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to Mexico.

How long is the wait for an MRI scan in Canada?

Canada (national): Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days (2025). Days from the decision to scan to the MRI: median, and the wait that 1 in 10 people exceeded.

How many days do I need 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; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.

Will my provincial plan pay for it?

Ask your provincial health plan before booking; we have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad.

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.
Magnetic resonance (MRI). Insight Medical Imaging (Alberta). Read 26 October 2026.
Wait times for priority procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.