From US · Hip replacement · Mexico
Hip replacement in Mexico from the US: what the trip costs against paying at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Americans, a hip replacement in Mexico costs $14,000 at the clinic we checked, or about $15,400 once an example return flight and 10 hotel nights are added. That is about $13,700 less than the lowest self-pay price we found in the US ($29,100).
- Clinic price
- $14,0001 provider, one primary total hip replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Fees that leave out the implant or the stay are shown but not compared
- Example trip
- $15,400clinic $14,000 + flight $300 + 10 hotel nights $1,100
- Pay privately in US
- $29,100
- Wait in US
- No national waiting list
- Time there
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then time near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
- Rank from US
- 4 of 4 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in USD
Trip total $15,400$13,700 under home
Figure 2Hip replacement: cheapest trip from the US, by country
Published hip replacement 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.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar)Tijuana | $13,995about £10,470 · €12,500 · C$19,590 | Hip replacement, all-inclusive packageSurgeon and anaesthetist fees; 3 nights at Hospital Azar (1 pre-op, 2 post-op); 1 hotel night; transport from San Diego airport; in-hotel nurse visits; post-operative medicines and garments. The implant is not itemised on the hip page. The home page says “starting at $14,000”. | Mexico Orthopedic Center (Tijuana)read 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 US
The US has no national public waiting list; what matters is the price your insurer or the hospital charges.
Paying privately in the US: $29,100, from Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study). These are 2021 hospital cash-price medians or a dental school estimate, so today’s prices are probably higher.
Can your insurer pay?
Ask your insurer before you book. Plans rarely pay for planned treatment abroad unless they have agreed in writing first.
Planning the trip from the US
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a hip replacement and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend recent X-rays and a list of your medicines, and ask for a written, itemised quote with the implant named.
- Before you goPlan help at home and the exercises for the weeks after you return.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: US citizens (State Department, choose the country).
- LanguageSpanish; border clinics that serve US patients usually work in English.
- After you returnGive your GP the operation note with the implant details, and ask who will check your wound and do your follow-up X-ray.
- After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from the US and your hotel to see the total for Mexico next to every other country.
Related pages
Hip replacement in Mexico from the US: questions
How much is a hip replacement in Mexico for Americans?
The published prices we found work out at $14,000 at the clinic, from Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar). With an example return flight of $300 and 10 hotel nights at $110, the trip comes to about $15,400. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the US?
Yes, by about $13,700 on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is $29,100. The gap shrinks if your flight costs more or you need extra nights.
How long is the wait for a hip replacement in the US?
There is no national public waiting list in the US; the question is usually the price your insurer pays.
How many days do I need in Mexico?
About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then time near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will my insurer pay for it?
Ask your insurer before booking. Most plans pay little or nothing for planned treatment abroad unless they agree in advance.
Sources
- Hip replacement procedure. Mexico Orthopedic Center (Tijuana). Read 26 October 2026.
- 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.
- Lista de precios público general, Hospital MAC Tijuana (valid 1 Sep to 31 Dec 2026). Hospitales MAC, 1 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.