If you live in the US
From the US: cash prices at home next to prices abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
There is no national waiting-list figure in the US to show, so this page compares what US hospitals charge self-pay patients with what clinics abroad publish.
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.
| Procedure | Official wait | Pay at home | Abroad, before travel |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRI scan | No official figure | $1,530 | about $64 to $600 |
| Colonoscopy | No official figure | $1,640 | about $64 to $859 |
| Health check-up | No official figure | Not verified | about $207 to $3,500 |
| Cataract surgery | No official figure | $3,680 | about $891 to $2,500 |
| Laser eye surgery | No official figure | $4,990 to $5,790 | about $1,010 to $3,300 |
| Dental implant | No official figure | $2,000 to $6,000 | about $628 to $3,110 |
| Veneers | No official figure | $990 to $2,170 | about $359 to $662 |
| Hair transplant | No official figure | $7,500 to $14,000 | about $2,040 to $3,810 |
| Hip replacement | No official figure | $29,100 | about $6,370 to $14,000 |
| Knee replacement | No official figure | $29,100 | about $6,520 to $13,000 |
| IVF | No official figure | $7,990 to $12,890 | about $1,650 to $10,370 |
Add your flight and hotel
The calculator starts from the US: pick a procedure and add your own flight and hotel.
Pages for readers in the US
- MRI scan cost in the US vs going abroad
- Colonoscopy cost in the US vs going abroad
- Cataract surgery cost in the US vs going abroad
- Laser eye surgery cost in the US vs going abroad
- Dental implant cost in the US vs going abroad
- Veneers cost in the US vs going abroad
- Hair transplant cost in the US vs going abroad
- Hip replacement cost in the US vs going abroad
- Knee replacement cost in the US vs going abroad
- IVF cost in the US vs going abroad
From the US: questions
Is it cheaper to have treatment abroad than to pay privately in the US?
Often, for the procedure price alone. Whether the trip is cheaper depends on the flight, the nights you need to stay and the time off work. The table on this page shows the gap before travel; the calculator adds travel.
Which procedures can I compare from the US?
MRI scans, colonoscopies, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles, against published prices in up to 8 countries.
Will my health plan pay if I go abroad?
Ask your insurer before booking. Some plans cover care abroad and many do not.
Are the waiting times on this site for my hospital?
No. They are national or regional statistics. Your own wait depends on your hospital, your priority and your referral date.
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.
- Cost of LASIK. LasikPlus. Read 26 October 2026.
- Dental implants: patient care. University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Read 26 October 2026.
- Veneers cost. Aspen Dental. Read 26 October 2026.
- The cost of hair restoration treatment. Robotic Hair Restoration of Long Island, 3 November 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- IVF cost 2026: breakdown of prices, add-ons and how to save. CNY Fertility. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.