Knee replacement · Mexico

Knee replacement in Mexico: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

We found 1 published price for a knee replacement in Mexico, from $12,995, or about £9,720 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £16,910 at the providers we checked.

Published price: $12,995about £9,720 · about €11,610 · about C$18,190 · about $13,000
Price is for: one primary total knee replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Partial knees and fees without the implant are shown but not compared
Where: Tijuana
Providers: 1 (Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar))
Time there: About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
NHS England wait: 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics) (August 2026)

Published knee replacement prices in Mexico

Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.

Knee replacement prices in Mexico
Provider	Published price	What the price is for	Source
Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar)Tijuana	$12,995about £9,720 · €11,610 · C$18,190	Total knee replacement, all-inclusive packageSurgeon and anaesthetist fees, pre-operative tests, US implants, 2 nights at Hospital Azar, 2 hotel nights, transport from San Diego airport, post-op nurse visits, walker or crutches and take-home medicines. A cost page on the same site gives “$13,000+” in a “Mexico Average” column.	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.

Compared with waiting or paying at home

The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Mexico price converted to that currency. The Mexico figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.

Waiting times and self-pay prices at home for knee replacement
Where you live	Official wait	Pay at home	Here, converted
UK	61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics)England, August 2026	£16,910	£9,720before flights and hotel
Canada	Median 146 days; 1 in 10 waited over 361 daysCanada (national), 2025	Not verified	C$18,190before flights and hotel
Ireland	About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026	Not verified	€11,610before flights and hotel
US	No national figure	$29,1002021 hospital data or a dental school	$13,000before flights and hotel

Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.

Add your flight and hotel

Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Mexico next to your wait and your price at home.

Open the calculator

How it works for a visitor

Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the knee replacement and ask for an itemised price, 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 goArrange physiotherapy at home for after you return before you book.
Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
LanguageSpanish; border clinics that serve US patients usually work in English.
Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
After you returnGive your GP and physiotherapist the operation note with the implant details.
After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.

Can your public system pay for it?

NHS and HSE schemes do not reach Mexico. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in Mexico is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.

When not to travel for a knee replacement

Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a knee replacement is the right operation.
Serious heart or lung disease, or a recent blood clot, unless the hospital’s anaesthetist has reviewed you in advance.
Anyone who cannot keep up daily exercises after surgery or has no help at home.

How to compare knee replacement quotes

A total knee replacement resurfaces the worn ends of the thigh and shin bones with metal and plastic parts, usually for arthritis pain. Recovery takes weeks of daily exercises, and some stiffness is common at first. A partial (one-compartment) knee replacement is a smaller operation with a different price, so compare like with like.

Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included.
Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.
Robot-assisted surgery usually costs more. Ask what it adds in your case.
Ask when you can fly and how blood clots are prevented during the trip home.

Providers on this page

We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.

Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar), Tijuana: $12,995

Related comparisons

Knee replacement in Mexico: questions

How much does a knee replacement cost in Mexico?

The published prices we found range from $12,995, about £9,720 or $13,000. They come from Mexico Orthopedic Center (at Hospital Azar). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.

Is a knee replacement in Mexico cheaper than paying privately in the UK?

Before travel, the prices here work out at about £9,720, against about £16,910 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 10 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.

Will the NHS or HSE pay for a knee replacement in Mexico?

No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. Mexico is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.

How many days should I plan in Mexico?

About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy 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: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.

What should I check before booking a knee replacement in Mexico?

Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included. Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.

Sources

Knee replacement procedure. Mexico Orthopedic Center (Tijuana). Read 26 October 2026.
Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). 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.