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Falling ill while abroad can be an overwhelming experience. When you’re far from home, you might not know where to find the right doctor, how to communicate your symptoms, or what kind of healthcare you can expect. High medical costs can make the situation even more stressful in some countries. Without health insurance, the financial burden of treatment can add to your anxiety.
Knowing what to expect – and where – can help you plan ahead and protect your peace of mind. Whether you’re relocating, travelling for business, or living overseas long term, it’s worth understanding which countries are the most expensive for medical care — so you can be better prepared. So, if you needed treatment overseas, how much could it really cost?
This calculator allows you to see the cost of medical events in 24 countries. Simply select a procedure to see how costs compare worldwide.
Medical Event
Country
Price (£)
Price (US$)
Price (€)
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The US is consistently the most expensive country for medical events, recording the highest cost for all but three of the 24 procedures we examined. For example, an angioplasty costs more than US$282,000 in the US, 19 times more than in New Zealand, the second most expensive country for the operation.
Appendicitis can be a serious medical emergency. If left untreated, it can cause a life-threatening infection. The only way to treat appendicitis is by appendectomy. Colombia has the highest cost for an appendectomy, at just over US$66,000.
South Korea has the highest cost for gastric sleeve surgery on the list, with the operation costing an average of US$18,000, more than twice the average cost (US$8,680). The weight loss procedure removes part of the stomach, usually through keyhole surgery. It limits food intake, resulting in weight loss.
If you suffer from cataracts, surgery to remove them can significantly improve your quality of life. It can restore your vision and make daily activities more enjoyable. Austria is the most expensive country for this procedure, costing over US$7,000 per eye.
Cost Compared to Cover
Also known as a gastrectomy, gastric sleeve surgery costs an average of US$8,680 in the countries we examined. By reducing the stomach size, the operation can help with conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The average gastric sleeve operation costs almost three and a half times more (345%) than our average premium for a single year of cover (US$2,517), which will cover you for the surgeon, anaesthetist, and doctors’ fees for the operation.
A damaged hip joint can significantly impact your quality of life, causing stiffness, limited mobility, and pain. The most common reason for hip replacement is osteoarthritis, a condition caused by the loss of cartilage between joints. On average, a hip replacement costs US$14,211, more than five times the cost of our annual cover.
If you need a hip replacement, X-rays are essential to diagnose the issue and check your recovery afterwards. Our policies will cover you for these tests before and after the operation and the physiotherapy needed to aid your recovery.
On average, the daily cost of a hospital bed is US$836. While this might seem expensive for a single day, this fee contributes to the day-to-day running of the hospital, from staff wages to medications, specialist equipment, and medical consumables such as implants. One night in the hospital costs around a third (33%) of the price of our cover, so you won’t have to pay out of pocket for nursing costs or intensive care.
We sourced the average cost of various medical procedures in 24 countries from various sources.
To find the cost compared to insurance coverage, we found the average price for each procedure across the countries we looked at. We then divided this by the average cost of William Russell‘s cover to calculate the percentage difference, Currencies were converted on 04/22/2025 using xe.com and are correct as of then.
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