CT Scan Cost in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and China

The same short scan can cost very different amounts depending on where it is done and how it is billed. This guide sets out self-pay CT prices in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and China from published price lists and official data, explains what changes the bill, and answers the most common question about CT: how much radiation it involves.

How much does a CT scan cost in the US?

Without insurance, a CT scan costs from a few hundred dollars at a freestanding imaging centre to several thousand at a hospital. One New Jersey imaging centre's 2026 self-pay list charges USD 350 for a CT without contrast and USD 550 with contrast. A 2026 price guide gives a national range of USD 250–3,000, with an average of about USD 1,200.

With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the scan is done in a hospital department or a standalone centre. The opening story shows how much that choice can matter, so ask for the facility type and a written estimate before the scan. Some people find that paying cash abroad costs less than their share at home:

How much does an abdomen CT, a calcium score or a CT angiogram cost?

At the same New Jersey imaging centre, a CT of the abdomen and pelvis costs USD 550 without contrast, USD 700 with contrast and USD 900 with both, and a coronary calcium score costs USD 150 (2026 self-pay list). A 2026 price guide puts a freestanding abdomen and pelvis CT without contrast at USD 350–700.

We did not find a reliable self-pay figure for a CT angiogram, so ask for a written quote that includes the contrast and the reading fee. In China, the checkup centre of a public cancer hospital in Jilin lists low-dose CT at about CNY 373 (≈ USD 56) for the chest and CNY 358 (≈ USD 53) for the abdomen or pelvis per region, though this comes from a checkup notice rather than an official price list.

How much does a CT scan cost in the UK, Canada and Australia?

In the UK, a private CT of one body part costs GBP 492 at one provider and from GBP 699 at another (from GBP 730 in London), with contrast adding about GBP 34 at the first (2026 price lists). In Canada, private CT exists only in some provinces. A federal agency survey found an average facility charge of CAD 310 (median CAD 248, range CAD 192–490) in 2022–23, although only a few clinics answered.

In Australia, many CT scans are bulk-billed for Medicare-eligible residents. People without Medicare pay much more: Western Australian public hospitals charge overseas patients AUD 220–4,365 for CT in 2026–27, depending on the scan.

How much does a CT scan cost in China?

At public hospitals, a standard CT now costs about CNY 200 (≈ USD 30) in many provinces, after the price cuts that followed the national radiology pricing guideline of November 2024. Xinhua reported in May 2025 that 22 provinces had adjusted their radiology fees, with CT falling from more than CNY 300 (≈ USD 45) to about CNY 200 (≈ USD 30) in some of them. A business newspaper gave a reference cap of CNY 255 (≈ USD 38) for a plain CT scan, noting that it varies by region. Shanghai's older 2021 list set CNY 170 (≈ USD 25) or CNY 200 (≈ USD 30) per body part, depending on the scanner.

Three things raise the bill. Foreign patients pay the full listed price, because local insurance does not apply. International and VIP departments charge considerably more than the public price list. And each extra body part, contrast and the doctor's consultation are charged on top. Even so, a typical outpatient CT at a public hospital costs a small fraction of a US self-pay price.

At a public hospital you usually register and see a doctor first, and that doctor orders the scan. The consultation fee is modest: at Beijing tertiary public hospitals it runs from CNY 50 (≈ USD 7) for an ordinary doctor to CNY 100 (≈ USD 15) for a renowned expert, under the 2019 price reform, and foreign patients pay it in full. Bring any earlier scans so the doctor can decide whether a new one is needed at all.

How much does a full-body CT or PET-CT cost?

We found no standard self-pay price for a full-body CT. Whole-body screening is mostly sold as MRI in the US, UK and Australia; one US provider charges USD 2,499 for a whole-body scan (2026). PET-CT, which is mainly used in cancer care, starts at about GBP 1,100–2,200 privately in the UK (2026).

Chinese provinces cut PET-CT prices in 2025. According to media reports of the reform, Shanghai's cap for a whole-body PET-CT is CNY 6,500 (≈ USD 970) including the tracer, and Anhui's PET-CT price fell from CNY 5,000 (≈ USD 750) to CNY 2,500 (≈ USD 370). These caps change by province and year, so ask the hospital for its current price.

Scanning people without symptoms often finds harmless things that lead to more tests. If you are thinking about a screening scan, ask a doctor first what the result would change.

How much radiation is involved in a CT scan?

A CT scan uses X-rays, so it involves more radiation than a single plain X-ray, while MRI and ultrasound use none. The dose depends on the body part, the scanner and the settings, which is why no single figure fits every scan. Low-dose CT settings are used for some checks, such as the chest scans in many checkup packages.

The practical points are simple. Tell the radiology team about recent scans so they are not repeated without need, bring your earlier images with you, and ask whether MRI or ultrasound could answer the same question. If you could be pregnant, say so before the scan. The radiology department's own safety questions decide what is right for you.