Colonoscopy cost
What a colonoscopy costs at home, and what it costs on a Chinese hospital price list
A self-pay colonoscopy averages about USD 2,750 in the US, and a private one costs GBP 2,000–4,000 in the UK. One Chinese hospital lists the colonoscopy at CNY 353 (≈ USD 53) and sedation at CNY 260 (≈ USD 39), about CNY 613 (≈ USD 91) before prep drugs, biopsies and pathology. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.
USA, self-pay colonoscopy, average (cost guide, 2024–26)
USD 2,750
USA, surgery centre cash price (cost guide, 2024–26)
USD 800–1,800
UK private colonoscopy, before the consultation fee (PHIN, 2025)
GBP 2,000–4,000
China, colonoscopy plus sedation on a hospital price list (Dongguan)
CNY 613 (≈ USD 91)
Self-pay colonoscopy prices, local currency (sources: cost guides 2024–26; PHIN 2025; China: hospital price list and aggregator)
| Where | Price | What it covers | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA, average | USD 1,250–4,800 (average about 2,750) | Doctor, facility, anaesthesia and lab may bill separately | Cost guide, 2024–26 |
| USA, surgery centre cash price | USD 800–1,800 | Cash price; check what it includes | Cost guide, 2024–26 |
| UK private | GBP 2,000–4,000, plus GBP 130–400 consultation | Procedure; consultation charged separately | Private healthcare information body, 2025 |
| Australia | No reliable published figure found | Ask for an itemised estimate and your gap | None found |
| China, hospital price list | CNY 353 (≈ USD 53) plus CNY 260 (≈ USD 39) sedation | Before prep drugs, biopsies and pathology | Hospital price list, current |
| China, all-in estimate | CNY 1,000–3,000 (≈ USD 150–450) | Sedated, at a tertiary hospital; highest in Beijing and Shanghai | Aggregator estimate (weak) |
What the China price covers
An itemised list, with sedation and pathology as separate lines
Chinese hospitals list each part of a colonoscopy separately. At Dongguan Tungwah Hospital, the colonoscopy is CNY 353 (≈ USD 53) and non-intubated general anaesthesia, the sedation used for a “painless” colonoscopy, is CNY 260 (≈ USD 39). Pre-procedure tests, prep drugs, polyp removal, biopsies and pathology are added at listed prices. An aggregator estimates CNY 1,000–3,000 (≈ USD 150–450) all in at a tertiary hospital, so treat that as a rough guide and ask for an itemised quote.
Who pays what
Visitors pay the full listed price
Chinese medical insurance discounts apply to insured residents, so foreign patients pay the full listed price, and international or VIP departments charge more than the public list. In the US, the same test can arrive as four bills, from the doctor, the facility, the anaesthesia team and the lab, so compare totals that include every line.
An honest comparison
For a colonoscopy alone, the flight can cost more than you save
You need several days on the ground for the consultation, prep and procedure, plus flights and a hotel. The trip makes more sense when you combine it with other care, such as a gastroscopy under the same sedation, which one checkup centre lists with the colonoscopy at CNY 1,460–1,702 (≈ USD 220–250), or a full health checkup from CNY 1,320 (≈ USD 200).
We handle the China part
An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare
We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.
Common questions
Can you get a colonoscopy without insurance?
Yes. In the US a self-pay colonoscopy averages about USD 2,750, with a range of USD 1,250–4,800, and surgery centres quote cash prices of about USD 800–1,800. In the UK, PHIN puts a private colonoscopy at GBP 2,000–4,000 plus GBP 130–400 for the consultation. In China, one hospital lists the colonoscopy and sedation at about CNY 613 (≈ USD 91) before drugs and pathology.
How much should anaesthesia for a colonoscopy cost?
In the US, sedation is usually billed separately by the anaesthesia provider, so ask whether that provider is in your network and for the price in advance. In China it is a separate line on the hospital price list: Dongguan Tungwah Hospital lists non-intubated general anaesthesia for a “painless” colonoscopy at CNY 260 (≈ USD 39), on top of CNY 353 (≈ USD 53) for the colonoscopy.
How much does a colonoscopy without sedation cost?
Without sedation the anaesthesia line drops out of the bill. At Dongguan Tungwah Hospital, that leaves the colonoscopy itself at CNY 353 (≈ USD 53), before prep drugs, biopsies and pathology. Whether to have sedation is a comfort and medical decision for you and your doctor, and not every centre offers the test without it.
How much does a colonoscopy with polyp removal cost?
Polyp removal adds procedure and pathology charges. In the US it can also change how the test is billed: Medicare patients pay 15% coinsurance when a polyp is removed during a screening colonoscopy, and some private insurers treat a test as diagnostic, which brings back the deductible. In China, polyp removal, biopsies and pathology are added at listed prices, so ask for them to be named in your quote.
Can you get a cash discount on a colonoscopy in the US?
Often. Ambulatory surgery centres quote cash prices of about USD 800–1,800, well below the average of about USD 2,750. Check that the cash price includes the facility, the doctor, sedation and pathology, and ask what changes if a polyp is removed.
Read more
- Colonoscopy Price: China vs the US, UK and Australia
Self-pay colonoscopy prices in the US, UK, Australia and China, what sedation and polyp removal add, and when travelling for the test is worth it.
Complete package
Make the trip count: both scopes + health checkup + TCM
While you are in China for a colonoscopy, the same trip can include a gastroscopy under the same sedation, a full health checkup and a TCM consultation. We plan and quote them together.
- Gastroscopy and colonoscopy packages from CNY 1,460 (≈ USD 220)
- Health checkup from CNY 1,320 (≈ USD 200)
- TCM consultation from CNY 50 (≈ USD 7)
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.