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From UK · MRI scan · Mexico

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

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For UK patients, an MRI scan in Mexico costs £449 at the clinic we checked, or about £1,410 once an example return flight and 2 hotel nights are added. That is about £1,160 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£249).

Clinic price
£4491 provider, one body area
Example trip
£1,410clinic £449 + flight £800 + 2 hotel nights £160
Pay privately in UK
£249–£380
Wait in UK
22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Time there
1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
Rank from UK
5 of 5 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP

Trip total £1,410£1,160 over home

Lowest published clinic price, an example return fare from the UK and 2 hotel nights at £80; the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Examples, not quotes.

Figure 2MRI scan: cheapest trip from the UK, by country

Total trip in GBP: 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 UK patients.

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
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Hospital MAC TijuanaTijuana11,278.23 MXNabout £449 · €536 · C$840 · $600MRI 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 the UK

England, August 2026: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting). Waits and prices for an MRI scan in the UK.

Paying privately in the UK: £249–£380, from Vista Health.

Can the NHS pay?

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.

Planning the trip from the UK

  1. 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.
  2. Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
  3. Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
  4. Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
  5. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
  6. LanguageSpanish; border clinics that serve US patients usually work in English.
  7. After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
  8. 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 the UK and your hotel to see the total for Mexico next to every other country.

Open the calculator

Related pages

MRI scan in Mexico from the UK: questions

How much is an MRI scan in Mexico for UK patients?

The published prices we found work out at £449 at the clinic, from Hospital MAC Tijuana. With an example return flight of £800 and 2 hotel nights at £80, the trip comes to about £1,410. Your own fares and dates will change the total.

Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?

No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is £249, about £1,160 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 the UK?

England: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting).

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 the NHS pay for it?

No. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU and a few other European countries; Mexico is outside it.

Sources

  1. Lista de precios público general, Hospital MAC Tijuana (valid 1 Sep to 31 Dec 2026). Hospitales MAC, 1 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  2. MRI scans. Vista Health (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.