US · Cataract surgery
Cataract surgery cost in the US vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in the US costs about $3,680 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at $891 in Poland, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about $3,680
- Abroad, before travel
- about $891 to $2,500 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
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 | $3,678about £2,750 · €3,290 · C$5,150 | Median cash price, cataract removal with lens insertion (CPT 66984)One eye. Median of 448 hospitals; the middle half ranged $2,344 to $6,159. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cataract surgery in Poland | about $891 to $1,020 | $2,790 less |
| Cataract surgery in Hungary | about $900 | $2,780 less |
| Cataract surgery in Thailand | about $1,210 to $2,480 | $2,460 less |
| Cataract surgery in Turkey | about $2,180 | $1,500 less |
| Cataract surgery in Mexico | about $2,350 to $2,500 | $1,330 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 4 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in the US.
When not to travel
- Other eye disease that needs regular follow-up (glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration) unless your home specialist agrees.
- Anyone who cannot stay a few days after surgery or cannot use eye drops reliably on their own.
Next steps
Cataract surgery from the US: questions
How much does a private cataract surgery cost in the US?
about $3,680 at the providers we checked: Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study).
Where abroad is a cataract surgery cheapest from the US?
Before travel: Poland about $891 to $1,020, Hungary about $900 and Thailand about $1,210 to $2,480. Add a return flight and 4 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a cataract surgery abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the cataract surgery 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.