US · Hip replacement
Hip replacement cost in the US vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in the US costs about $29,100 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at $6,370 in Poland, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about $29,100
- Abroad, before travel
- about $6,370 to $14,000 in 4 countries
- Time abroad
- 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
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 | $29,097about £21,770 · €26,000 · C$40,720 | Median cash price, major joint replacement of the lower extremity without complications (DRG 470)Hospital (facility) price for the inpatient stay. DRG 470 covers hip and knee replacement together. Median of 710 hospitals in 49 states; the middle half ranged $17,735 to $45,214. Physician fees probably extra (not stated). Hospital 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hip replacement in Poland | about $6,370 to $8,280 | $22,730 less |
| Hip replacement in Hungary | about $6,990 | $22,110 less |
| Hip replacement in Thailand | about $7,410 | $21,690 less |
| Hip replacement in Mexico | about $14,000 | $15,100 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 10 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in the US.
When not to travel
- Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a hip 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.
- Travelling alone with nobody to help you for the first weeks after surgery.
Next steps
Hip replacement from the US: questions
How much does a private hip replacement cost in the US?
about $29,100 at the providers we checked: Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study).
Where abroad is a hip replacement cheapest from the US?
Before travel: Poland about $6,370 to $8,280, Hungary about $6,990 and Thailand about $7,410. Add a return flight and 10 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a hip replacement abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the hip replacement 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.