Why Chinese hospital prices are public — and how to read them

Government price catalogs, the difference between an item price and a total bill, and how we build our numbers.

Prices are set by the government, in public documents

Every province publishes a medical service price catalog: thousands of items — a night in a ward, an MRI, one grafted vessel in a bypass operation — each with a listed price that public hospitals must follow. These are downloadable spreadsheets on government and hospital websites. When we quote a surgical fee, we link the catalog it comes from.

Item price ≠ total bill

A bypass operation's surgical fee in Guangxi is ¥4,680 per vessel — but the hospital stay also includes anesthesia, the heart-lung machine, ICU, ward days, tests and medication. That is why we always show two layers: the official item price (exact, sourced) and the typical total band (a range). Budget at the top of the band; the final number depends on the treatment plan your doctor sets.

One more honest note: in regular departments, foreigners pay the same listed prices as Chinese patients. International/VIP departments charge more for comfort and English. We tell you which is which, hospital by hospital, as we verify them.

Paying as a foreigner

WeChat Pay and Alipay both accept foreign Visa/Mastercard since 2023, and hospitals take cash (RMB). Larger deposits for hospitalization can usually be paid by card at international departments or via bank counters. Bring your passport to every payment window.