The official caps are the only prices backed by a public document, so they are the anchor of this site. Everything else is compared against them. See how we read them on how we check prices.
China MRI cost: $64–75 a scan
That is the official cap for one MRI body area in the public hospitals of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou (¥430 to ¥505). A private international hospital lists about $521; coordinators who book and translate charge $250 to $450.
Where you live
USAMedian hospital cash price, knee MRI (July 2021 data)
$1,534ChinaPublic-hospital cap, one area
$64–7520× the China cap. Uninsured patients often pay this in full. Scan fee only: flights and hotel are extra.
One MRI, seven published prices
US dollars, log scale
- China, public hospital capOrdinary service, Grade 3, four cities$64–$75
- China, coordinator packageChina MedPass, published "from" price$250
- China, all-in coordinatorMRI in China, with English report$450
- China, private hospitalSIMC Shanghai list price, one site$521
- UK, private clinicVista Health standard MRI, £360$480
- Canada, private clinicAlberta knee MRI, C$749$532
- USA, hospital cash priceMedian, leg-joint MRI (July 2021 data)$1,534
Three prices for the same scan
Most confusion about the cost of an MRI in China comes from mixing up three different things. Each is real; they are prices for different services.
A
The official public-hospital cap
¥430to ¥505
The most a public hospital may charge in its ordinary service for one body area, set by the city. Service in Chinese, a doctor at the hospital orders the scan, and you queue like everyone else.
B
International or private hospital
$521SIMC
Hospitals and international departments for self-paying patients set their own prices, with English-speaking staff. SIMC in Shanghai lists ¥3,500 for one MRI site. Few publish a price at all.
C
A coordinator's package
$250to $450
Services that book a hospital, interpret and translate the report sell all-in packages. Published starting prices: China MedPass $250, MRI in China $450 for one MRI.
Official MRI, CT and PET-CT caps in four cities
Grade 3 public hospitals, ordinary outpatient service, scan fee only. Contrast medicine and the PET tracer are charged on top.
| Exam | Beijing | Shanghai | Shenzhen | Guangzhou |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI without contrast per body area | ¥470 about $70 | ¥430 about $64 | ¥505 about $75 | ¥505 about $75 |
| MRI with contrast per body area | ¥555 about $83 | ¥455 about $68 | ¥550 about $82 | ¥550 about $82 |
| CT without contrast per body area | ¥133 about $20 | ¥189 about $28 | ¥231 about $34 | ¥231 about $34 |
| CT with contrast per body area | ¥203 about $30 | ¥295 about $44 | ¥305 about $45 | ¥305 about $45 |
| PET-CT, whole body per exam, scan fee only | ¥5,000 about $744 | ¥5,000 about $744 | ¥5,000 about $744 | ¥5,000 about $744 |
Sources: each city's 2025 healthcare security bureau notice, listed at the bottom of this page. More items and rules on the China MRI, CT and PET-CT price table.
How long you wait at home, and what it costs there
People look up the MRI cost in China for two reasons: a long public wait, or a high cash price. Here are the official figures we found.
Our MRI wait vs travel calculator puts these next to the cost of a trip to China, with every number editable.
- Canada: half of MRI patients waited more than 59.4 days in 2025 and one in ten more than 206.5 days (CIHI). In Manitoba the median was 151 days. A private knee MRI in Alberta costs C$749 (about $532).
- England: 357,356 people were waiting for an MRI at the end of August 2026, and 22% of them had waited six weeks or more. A private MRI costs £249 to £380 at Vista Health (about $332 to $506).
- United States: the median hospital cash price was $1,534 for a knee or other leg-joint MRI and $2,306 for a brain MRI with and without contrast, in hospital price files from July 2021 (JAMA Network Open).
Prices by city and by scan
MRI in Beijing
¥470Beijing one-area cap, about $70
MRI in Shanghai
¥430Shanghai one-area cap, about $64
MRI in Shenzhen
¥505Shenzhen one-area cap, about $75
MRI in Guangzhou
¥505Guangzhou one-area cap, about $75
Who this site is for, and who it is not for
Useful if you
- face a long public wait or a high cash price for a non-urgent scan your doctor has asked for
- are going to China anyway, or live there and want to know what is fair
- want to check a quote from a coordinator or hospital against the official cap
Not for you if you
- have sudden or severe symptoms: go to an emergency department now
- need your scan read in the same system that will treat you, without a translation step
- want a hospital recommendation on medical grounds: ask your doctor
Information only, not medical advice, and not reviewed by a doctor. Prices are caps or published list prices, not quotes. Read the medical disclaimer.
China MRI cost: common questions
How much does an MRI cost in China?
In the ordinary service of a big public hospital, the official cap for one body area without contrast is ¥430 to ¥505 (about $64 to $75) in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. A private international hospital in Shanghai lists ¥3,500 (about $521), and coordination services that book and translate for you publish packages from $250 to $450.
Why is an MRI so cheap in China?
Public hospital prices are set by city and provincial healthcare security bureaus, not by the hospitals, and they were cut in 2025 when every province moved to a new national list of radiology price items. The cap pays for the scan, the report and digital image storage; it does not cover the consultation, contrast medicine, interpreting or a foreign-language service.
Can a foreigner get an MRI in a Chinese public hospital?
Yes. You register with your passport like any other self-paying patient. The catch is that a doctor at that hospital normally orders the scan, the ordinary service works in Chinese, and you pay yourself. International departments make this easier at a higher price.
Is it worth flying to China for an MRI?
It depends on your wait and your cost at home. For an uninsured patient in the US paying a median hospital cash price of $1,534 for a knee MRI, the scan alone is far cheaper in China, but the flight usually costs more than the difference unless you are going anyway. Use the calculator with your own numbers. Never travel for an urgent problem.
Do I need a referral for an MRI in China?
A public hospital normally scans on the order of one of its own doctors, so you see an outpatient doctor first and that visit takes the place of a referral. A letter from your doctor at home helps that doctor. Read the referral guide for the details.
Will my doctor at home accept a scan done in China?
Many will look at it, but ask before you go. Ask for the images as DICOM files, not just film, and get the Chinese report translated if the hospital does not provide one in English.
Sources
- Notice on standardising, adjusting and adding medical service price items, Jing Yi Bao Fa [2025] No. 13 (京医保发〔2025〕13号), Annex 3: radiology examinations (in Chinese). Beijing Municipal Healthcare Security Administration and Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 17 June 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Notice on standardising and adjusting radiology examination price items in Shanghai, Hu Yi Bao Jia Cai Fa [2025] No. 11 (沪医保价采发〔2025〕11号) (in Chinese). Shanghai Municipal Healthcare Security Administration and Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, 16 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Shenzhen forwarding of the Guangdong notice on radiology examination price items, Shen Yi Bao Fa [2025] No. 8 (深医保发〔2025〕8号), Annex 2 (in Chinese). Shenzhen Healthcare Security Administration, 27 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Guangzhou forwarding of the Guangdong notices on radiology and other price items, Sui Yi Bao Fa [2025] No. 12 (穗医保发〔2025〕12号), Annex 3 (in Chinese). Guangzhou Healthcare Security Administration, 25 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Price list (service guide). Shanghai International Medical Center (SIMC). Read 26 October 2026.
- Costs. China MedPass (chinamedpass.com), a coordination service. Read 26 October 2026.
- Pricing. MRI in China (mriinchina.com), a coordination service. Read 26 October 2026.
- Wait Times for Priority Procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables (MRI and CT, 50th and 90th percentile days). Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026 Monthly Report. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- MRI scans: prices. Vista Health (UK private diagnostics). Read 26 October 2026.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): private MRI prices. Insight Medical Imaging, Alberta. Read 26 October 2026.
- Comparison of US Hospital Cash Prices and Commercial Negotiated Prices for 70 Services (Jiang, Makary, Bai), JAMA Network Open 2021;4(12):e2140526. JAMA Network Open, 21 December 2021. Read 26 October 2026.
- RMB central parity rates, 26 October 2026 (USD/CNY 6.7162). China Foreign Exchange Trade System (chinamoney.com.cn), 26 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.