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Surgery Price List 2026: 30 Procedures, US vs Colombia

10 min readUpdated August 2026Typical 2026 ranges, not quotes
Bottom line

Thirty procedures, one table, two columns: the best available US cash-pay price and the typical all-in price at an accredited Colombian hospital or clinic. Across the list, Colombia runs roughly 55 to 70 percent below US cash pricing. Use this as a reference sheet, then get an itemized quote for the one procedure you actually need.

Most "surgery price list" pages online are either a single hospital's chargemaster (useless, nobody pays it) or an aggregator's averages with no sourcing. This list is built from transparent-pricing surgery-center postings, ASPS surgeon-fee surveys, Peterson-KFF cost data, and patient-facing quotes from Colombian providers in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. Where confidence is lower, the note says so.

Every figure is a typical 2026 range, not a quote. US figures are cash-pay (self-pay) prices, not insurer-negotiated rates and not chargemaster list prices. Implants and hardware are generally excluded in the US column and often included in the Colombia column; the notes flag exceptions.

General and abdominal surgery

General surgery

All-in cash-pay, 2026
Line itemUSAColombia
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal$6,800 – $12,000$2,500 – $4,500
Laparoscopic appendectomy$7,400 – $13,000$2,500 – $4,800
Inguinal hernia, openone side, plus mesh$3,900 – $7,200$1,800 – $3,500
Inguinal hernia, laparoscopicone side$6,700 – $9,500$2,800 – $4,500
Umbilical hernia$3,500 – $6,500$1,500 – $2,800
Colectomylaparoscopic partial$18,000 – $35,000$7,500 – $13,000
Hysterectomylaparoscopic$9,200 – $16,000$3,800 – $6,500
Tonsillectomyadult$3,900 – $6,100$1,500 – $2,800
All-in typical range$3,500 – $35,000$1,500 – $13,000
US floors: Surgery Center of Oklahoma posted prices. Colombia general-surgery ranges are moderate confidence; colectomy is low-to-moderate confidence in both columns because of high case variability.

Orthopedic and spine

Orthopedics

All-in cash-pay, 2026
Line itemUSAColombia
Total knee replacementimplant extra in US column$17,700 – $35,000$12,000 – $19,000
Total hip replacement$17,600 – $40,000$13,500 – $21,000
ACL reconstruction$7,900 – $15,000$4,000 – $7,000
Arthroscopic meniscus repair$5,500 – $10,000$2,500 – $4,500
Rotator cuff repairarthroscopic$8,000 – $16,000$4,000 – $7,500
Carpal tunnel releaseone hand$2,500 – $5,000$900 – $1,800
Spinal fusion1–2 level lumbar$15,000 – $50,000+$12,000 – $22,000
Lumbar discectomymicrodiscectomy$9,000 – $20,000$4,500 – $8,500
Hardware removalplates and screws, limb$3,500 – $8,000$1,500 – $3,200
All-in typical range$2,500 – $50,000+$900 – $22,000
Knee, hip, and ACL US floors are Surgery Center of Oklahoma posted prices. Spinal fusion is the highest-variance line on this page in both countries. Our Colombia orthopedic spoke: orthopedicsurgery.co.

Cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic

All-in, 2026
Line itemUSAColombia
Rhinoplastyprimary$8,000 – $18,000$3,500 – $6,500
Breast augmentationsilicone$6,500 – $12,000$3,200 – $6,500
Breast reduction$8,500 – $15,000$3,800 – $6,500
Tummy tuckfull$9,500 – $16,200$3,800 – $7,000
Liposuction3 areas$6,500 – $12,500$2,800 – $5,500
BBLsubcutaneous placement only$10,000 – $22,000$4,500 – $8,500
FaceliftSMAS$12,000 – $25,000$5,500 – $10,000
Blepharoplastyupper and lower$4,500 – $8,500$2,200 – $4,000
Gynecomastia$5,000 – $12,000$3,500 – $6,000
Hair transplant2,500 FUE grafts$8,000 – $16,000$3,000 – $6,000
All-in typical range$4,500 – $25,000$2,200 – $10,000
US cosmetic figures blend ASPS surgeon-fee surveys (surgeon fee only) with patient-reported all-in totals. Detail by procedure: Plastic Surgery in Colombia. Spokes: colombiacosmeticsurgery.com, colombiabbl.co, colombiahairtransplant.co.

Vision, dental, bariatric, fertility

Specialty

All-in, 2026
Line itemUSAColombia
LASIKboth eyes$4,000 – $6,000$1,600 – $2,800
Cataractper eye, monofocal$3,000 – $4,800$1,200 – $2,200
Dental implantsingle, with crown$4,500 – $6,500$1,200 – $2,000
Full-mouth implantsAll-on-4, one arch$20,000 – $35,000$7,000 – $12,000
Gastric sleevehospital-based$9,000 – $16,000$6,000 – $10,500
Gastric bypass$18,000 – $35,000$8,000 – $13,500
IVF cyclewith ICSI, meds extra$18,000 – $30,000$5,500 – $9,000
All-in typical range$3,000 – $35,000$1,200 – $13,500
Spokes: colombialasik.com, colombiadentist.co, colombiabariatric.co, colombianivf.com. IVF medication typically adds $3,000–$6,000 in the US and $1,200–$2,500 in Colombia.

How to read this list

The US column is cash-pay, not list price. Chargemaster figures for the same procedures run 3 to 6 times higher and are what an uninsured patient sees on a first bill. If you have been quoted a number far above the US column, you have been quoted list price; see how to get the cash price.

The Colombia column is bundled. Colombian surgeons and hospitals quoting international patients almost always give one figure covering surgeon, facility, anesthesia, and the first follow-up. The US column often needs three separate bills added together to be comparable; bundled vs itemized pricing explains why that matters.

Travel is not in either column. Add $450 to $900 for flights from the US, $60 to $180 per night for accommodation, and 7 to 14 nights depending on procedure. For anything above roughly $3,000 US cash, the savings survive the trip cost comfortably.

Why Colombia keeps appearing in these tables. The World Health Organization's 2000 World Health Report ranked Colombia's health system #22 in the world and #1 in the Western Hemisphere, ahead of the United States and Canada. That report has not been repeated, so for current verification pair it with two live anchors: JCI accreditation (a hospital-level credential; standalone clinics are not JCI-accredited) and ReTHUS, Colombia's national health-professional registry at rethus.gov.co, where any surgeon's license can be checked.

Exchange-rate note. The Colombian peso moved roughly 15 percent against the dollar across 2026 (from about 3,805 to about 3,070 COP per USD). Dollar figures published in 2024 or 2025 overstate today's savings. The ranges above are current.

Turn a line on this list into a real quote

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Frequently Asked

Are these prices quotes?

No. They are typical 2026 ranges assembled from published cash prices and patient-facing quotes. Your quote will depend on your anatomy, the surgeon, the facility, and what is included. Always get a written itemized estimate.

Why is the US column so much lower than what my hospital told me?

Your hospital most likely gave you a chargemaster (list) figure or an insurer-negotiated figure. The US column here is the cash-pay price, which is typically 40 to 70 percent below list. Ask specifically for the self-pay price.

Does the Colombia price include implants?

Usually yes for breast and dental implants; usually itemized separately for knee, hip, and spinal hardware. Ask the quote to state it explicitly.

What is the cheapest country for surgery?

For most elective procedures, India and Turkey have the lowest headline prices; Colombia, Mexico, and Thailand sit in the next tier. Colombia's advantage for US and Canadian patients is a 3 to 6 hour flight, same time zone, and a health system the WHO ranked first in the Western Hemisphere in its 2000 report.

Which of these procedures are not worth traveling for?

Anything under about $3,000 US cash: carpal tunnel release, umbilical hernia, cataract at a US ambulatory center. Travel and accommodation absorb the savings. Above that threshold the math generally favors travel for elective, non-emergency surgery.

Related Cost Guides

Editorial disclosure: Surgery Cost publishes independent price research. When readers request quotes through our Colombia partner network at Colombia Medical, we may receive a referral fee from participating clinics. Referral fees do not influence pricing shown or which providers we list. All figures are typical 2026 market ranges, not binding quotes. Request an itemized written estimate before booking any procedure. Nothing here is medical advice.