Cost guide
How much does an MRI cost in China?
At a public hospital in Beijing, the hospital's fee for an MRI of one body area is capped at ¥470 (about $70) without contrast and ¥555 (about $82) with contrast. These are official maximum prices: a hospital may charge less, never more.
How much is an MRI in China? The short answer
Beijing sets a maximum price for each imaging service in its public hospitals. Under the schedule in force since 31 August 2025:
- MRI without contrast: up to ¥470 (about $70) per body area.
- MRI with contrast: up to ¥555 (about $82) per body area. The contrast medicine itself is charged separately.
- Seeing a hospital doctor on the day: up to ¥50 (about $7) for a standard outpatient consultation at a tertiary hospital, ¥60 to ¥100 with a senior doctor.
So the hospital's own charge for a brain MRI with contrast plus a standard consultation is at most ¥605, about $90, before the contrast medicine.
With us, the hospital fee, booking, the English report and the DICOM files are included in one all-in price:
MRI
From $250 USD, all-in
One body area, without contrast: the hospital fee, booking, the English report and your DICOM files. Contrast and extra areas are quoted on top.
The hospital part is capped by Beijing's official price schedule at ¥470 (about $70). Official fees →
MRI with contrast
From $320 USD, all-in
One body area, with contrast: the hospital fee, booking, the English report and your DICOM files. Extra areas are quoted on top.
The hospital part is capped by Beijing's official price schedule at ¥555 (about $82). Official fees →
MRI price in China: the official hospital fees
The maximum each public hospital in Beijing may charge, per the city's price schedule.
| Service | Unit | Maximum fee | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRI without contrastMore than three areas in one visit are charged as three. | per body area | ¥470 | $70 |
| MRI with contrastReplaces the plain fee for the same area; both are not charged. The contrast medicine itself is not part of this fee. | per body area | ¥555 | $82 |
| MR angiography without contrast | per vessel | ¥400 | $59 |
| MR angiography with contrast | per vessel | ¥478 | $71 |
| Add-on: special imaging sequenceAt most ¥200 per exam. | per sequence | ¥40 | $6 |
| Add-on: heart or fetal MRI | per exam | ¥110 | $16 |
| Outpatient consultation, tertiary hospitalPlus ¥10 (associate chief physician), ¥30 (chief physician) or ¥50 (renowned specialist). | per visit | ¥50 | $7 |
US dollar figures at ¥6.7468 to $1, the official central parity rate on 23 September 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar.
International departments are different
Several Beijing hospitals run international departments as part of a city pilot, and the pilot allows them to set their own prices. Their fees are not covered by the caps above. Your quote states which department your scan is booked in and what it charges.
MRI scan price in China by body area
The official fee is per body area, and it is the same whichever area is scanned. More than three areas in one visit are charged as three.
- Brain MRI
- Up to ¥470 (about $70) without contrast, ¥555 (about $82) with contrast.
- Spine MRI
- Up to ¥470 (about $70) without contrast, ¥555 (about $82) with contrast.
- Knee MRI
- Up to ¥470 (about $70) without contrast, ¥555 (about $82) with contrast.
What the cost of an MRI in China includes
- Included
- The hospital's fee for the scan, booking the appointment, the English translation of the radiology report with the Chinese original, and your images as DICOM files.
- Quoted on top
- Contrast, extra body areas and special sequences. Your written quote lists each one before you commit.
- Not included
- Flights, accommodation, local transport and any follow-up care.
What else changes the price
- Special sequences
- Each additional imaging sequence adds up to ¥40, at most ¥200 per exam. A heart or fetal MRI adds up to ¥110.
- Contrast medicine
- Charged separately from the scan fee, as a medicine.
- Department
- International departments set their own prices.
- City
- The figures on this page are Beijing's. Other provinces publish their own schedules. Your quote names the city.
Is an MRI cheaper in China than at home?
For the United States there is a published benchmark. A 2023 study in JAMA Network Open looked at the prices 2,630 hospitals had negotiated with insurers for a brain MRI with and without contrast. The median was $1,900, and the middle half of hospitals fell between $1,024 and $3,197. That is a facility price agreed with insurers, not a cash price.
The Beijing public-hospital cap for the same exam is ¥555, about $82, and our all-in price for it starts from $320. A fair comparison also adds your travel to the China side.
In Canada and the UK the public system does not charge for an MRI, so the comparison there is about time, or about the price of going private.
How you pay
Interac e-Transfer (EMT), international bank transfer, and other methods on request. Prices are quoted in US dollars.
MRI cost in China: common questions
How much is an MRI scan in China?
With us, an MRI scan of one body area starts from $250 all-in, or $320 with contrast. That includes the hospital fee, booking, the English report and the DICOM files.
How much does it cost to get an MRI in China as a foreigner?
Public hospitals in Beijing charge by the official price schedule: at most ¥470 (about $70) per body area without contrast and ¥555 (about $82) with contrast. International departments set their own prices. Arranged through us, the all-in price starts from $250.
Is the MRI scan cost in China the same for every body area?
Yes, at the hospital level. The official fee is per body area and does not depend on which area it is, so a brain, spine or knee MRI has the same cap. Two areas means two fees, and more than three areas in one visit are charged as three.
Does the MRI price in China include the report?
The hospital fee covers the scan, the radiologist’s report in Chinese and digital storage of the images. Our all-in price adds the English translation of the report and delivery of your DICOM files.
Why is the cost of an MRI in China lower than in the United States?
Beijing caps what public hospitals may charge for each imaging service. The cap for an MRI with contrast is ¥555 (about $82). In the United States, the median price hospitals negotiated with insurers for a brain MRI with and without contrast was $1,900 in a 2023 study of 2,630 hospitals.