China Medical Cost Guides

Every price below carries its source and verification date — most come straight from government fee schedules. No estimates dressed up as facts.

• Can Foreigners Use Chinese Public Hospitals? Yes — How-To

  Foreigners can use Chinese public hospitals with just a passport, at local prices. How registration, payment, deposits, and English reports actually work.

• CAR-T Therapy Cost in China (2026): ~$141,000 vs $273,000–475,000 US

  CAR-T cell therapy in China starts around CNY 1 million (~$141,000) versus $273,000–475,000 in the US. Who it's for, what the price includes, and how foreign patients are already doing it.

• Cataract Surgery Cost Without Insurance (2026): $3,500–7,000 Per Eye

  US cash price for cataract surgery is $3,500–7,000 per eye, more with premium lenses. What drives the bill, how to cut it — and why the same surgery is $700–1,100 in China's public hospitals.

• Cataract Surgery in China: Cost per Eye in 2026

  Cataract surgery in China costs RMB 5,000–8,000 (~$700–1,100) per eye with a monofocal lens at public hospitals, vs $3,500–7,000 US cash. Sources inside.

• China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: A Full Medical Checkup With No Visa (2026)

  Citizens of 55 countries can enter China visa-free for 240 hours via 65 ports. Ten days is enough for a full health checkup — MRI, CT, endoscopy, results in hand. The rules, the timeline, the prices.

• China Medical Price Index 2026: Government-Sourced Costs vs US/UK

  Every verified price we hold for Chinese healthcare in one table: government tariffs, official hospital packages, and procurement prices — each with source and verification date, benchmarked against US and UK costs. Free to cite.

• Chinese Hospital Deposits for Foreigners (2026): How Prepayment, Billing, and Fapiao Work

  Chinese hospitals collect a deposit — typically 30–50% of the estimated bill — before admission, deduct charges nightly, and refund the balance at discharge. How it works, what cards fail, and the invoice your insurer needs.

• Colonoscopy Cost Without Insurance (2026): $1,250–4,000 — Venue Is Everything

  A US colonoscopy without insurance runs $1,250–4,000+. FAIR Health medians: $2,200–3,500 at hospitals vs $1,200–2,200 at surgery centers. How to pay less — and the sourced $280–500 option abroad.

• Colonoscopy & Gastroscopy Cost in China (2026): From $35

  A gastroscopy at Beijing's top public hospital costs about RMB 250 ($35). Sedated gastroscopy + colonoscopy runs RMB 2,000–3,500 ($280–500) all-in. US: $1,250–4,000+.

• Day Surgery in China (2026): What Qualifies, Costs, How It Works

  The complete guide to day surgery in China for foreigners: which procedures qualify, real package prices from $1,480, the five best cities, and the step-by-step flow.

• Dental Implants in China: Cost per Tooth in 2026

  A dental implant in China costs RMB 5,500–6,500 ($775–915) all-in at public hospitals under national price caps — vs $4,200+ in the US. Sources inside.

• How to Get an English Medical Report from a Chinese Hospital (2026)

  Public Chinese hospitals issue reports in Chinese only. Three real paths to an English version: the international department, professional translation, or a structured translation pack — costs and trade-offs for each.

• Full Body Health Checkup in China: 2026 Prices & Booking

  What a full body checkup costs in China in 2026: $45 basic to $300 deep-screening with CT and MRI. Real prices from 5 cities, plus how to book one.

• Gallbladder & Hernia Surgery in China: Fixed 2026 Prices

  Laparoscopic gallbladder removal costs a fixed RMB 14,100 (~$1,990) at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital — official package price. Hernia repair from ~$1,500. Sources.

• Health Checkup in Shanghai for Foreigners: 2026 Guide

  Health checkup prices in Shanghai for foreigners: $84 focused screening to $141 deep packages with lung CT. Where to go, how to book with a passport.

• Heart Checkup in China (2026): Calcium Score ~$20, CTA From ~$210

  A coronary calcium score CT in China bills at the government-capped plain CT rate — RMB 133–255 (~$19–36). Coronary CTA reported at RMB 1,500–3,000. US: $100–400 and up to $1,447.

• Hemorrhoid Surgery Cost in China (2026): Fixed $1,690 Package

  Hemorrhoid surgery in China costs a fixed RMB 12,000 (~$1,690) at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital — official published package. US cash price: $5,000–15,000. Sources inside.

• Hip Replacement Waiting Time UK (2026): 27.4 Weeks — Your Three Ways Out

  NHS hip replacement median wait: 27.4 weeks, with only ~62% of patients starting treatment within 18 weeks. Private UK costs £11,000–20,000. The third option: China, where the average stay is 3.7 days.

• Knee & Hip Replacement in China: 2026 Costs vs US & NHS

  A knee replacement in China averages RMB 26,365 (~$3,700) all-in at public hospitals — vs $30,000–50,000 in the US and 27-week NHS waits. Data & sources.

• Knee Arthroscopy Cost in China (2026): ~$1,100–2,800 vs $19,000 US

  Knee arthroscopy (meniscus trim/cleanup) at Chinese public tertiary hospitals runs RMB 8,000–20,000 (~$1,100–2,800). US average: $18,975. UK private: £4,540–5,875. Sources inside.

• Medical Privacy Abroad: Why People Fly to China for the Procedures They Don't Talk About

  Hemorrhoids, varicose veins, weight-loss surgery, hair transplants — some procedures people prefer to do where nobody knows them. How medical privacy actually works for foreigners in Chinese hospitals.

• MRI Cost in China (2026): $60–75 at Public Hospitals

  An MRI in China costs RMB 430–505 ($60–75) per region at public hospitals — government-capped prices, 3.0T included. Full city-by-city table with sources.

• MRI Cost Without Insurance (2026): $400–3,500 — and How to Pay Less

  A US MRI without insurance runs $400–1,200 at imaging centers and $1,500–3,500 at hospitals. Here's the venue-by-venue breakdown, how to cut the bill, and the sourced $66 outlier.

• NHS Waiting List Alternatives (2026): Private, Turkey, Lithuania, China — Honest Numbers

  7.2 million NHS pathways, median wait ~12 weeks. Your real alternatives compared with sourced prices: UK private, Turkey, Lithuania, and China — including where each option actually wins.

• Cancer Second Opinion From China (2026): Pathology Review ~$115

  A remote pathology review at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center costs about RMB 800 (~$115). What a China-based second opinion includes, how it reaches your oncologist, and when it's worth it.

• Private MRI Cost UK (2026): £249–730 — and the £52 Comparison Nobody Makes

  A private MRI in the UK costs £249–730 per region; Nuffield starts at £375. Full price breakdown, how to pay less, and the government-published £52 price for the same scan in Beijing.

• TCM in China (2026): Real Acupuncture From ~$15 a Session

  Acupuncture at a Chinese tier-3 public hospital runs about RMB 80–150 (~$11–21) a session; tuina massage ~RMB 100. The premium international-clinic version is published at RMB 190–1,100. How to do TCM properly on a China trip.

• Thyroid Nodule Treatment in China (2026): Surgery ~$2,010 Fixed

  Thyroid lobectomy costs a fixed RMB 14,260 (~$2,010) at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital — official package price. Ablation reported at RMB 10,000–30,000, US RFA runs $5,000–10,000+. Sources inside.

• Varicose Vein Treatment in China (2026): From ~$1,480 Fixed

  The NHS won't routinely treat varicose veins; UK private EVLT runs £3,700–4,700 a leg. China: fixed RMB 10,500 (~$1,480) surgery package, EVLT/RFA quotes on request.

• LASIK, SMILE & ICL in China (2026): Both Eyes From $2,225

  SMILE laser vision correction costs RMB 15,800 (~$2,225) for both eyes at Aier Eye Hospital's published prices; EVO-ICL RMB 33,200 (~$4,675). US: $4,000–7,000+ both eyes for LASIK alone.