National averages, city comparisons, and savings tips for MRI, colonoscopy, knee replacement, hip replacement, and mammogram. Sourced from real hospital pricing data.
About These Guides
Medical procedure prices in the United States vary by 200% to 400% depending on the hospital, the city, and whether you pay cash or use insurance. The guides below show exactly how much five common procedures cost at hospitals nationwide, what drives the price differences, and how to pay less. All pricing is sourced from federally mandated hospital transparency files (45 CFR Part 180).
See what hospitals in your city are charging. Select a procedure and city to compare prices.
National median: $1,977 · 669 hospitals
“Hospital outpatient centers charge 2x to 3x more than freestanding imaging centers for the identical brain MRI. The images are the same. The price is not.”
National median: $1,554 · 96 hospitals
“A hospital outpatient colonoscopy can cost 3x to 5x more than the same procedure at an ambulatory surgery center. The scope is the same. The sedation is the same. The bill is not.”
National median: $17,101 · 668 hospitals
“The same total knee replacement can cost $16,000 at one hospital and $68,000 at another in the same metro. Your surgeon is the same quality. Your knee is the same knee. The price is not.”
National median: $13,692 · 663 hospitals
“A total hip replacement at the cheapest hospital in your metro may cost less than just the facility fee at the most expensive one. Location and facility type determine more than clinical complexity.”
“A screening mammogram at a hospital-based breast center can cost 4x more than the same exam at a freestanding imaging center. The mammography machine is the same. The radiologist reading is the same. The facility fee is not.”