How Much Does A Hospital Bed Cost Around The World ? (Interactive Map 2025

International Health Cost Index (IHCI) 2025

In a world where international mobility has never been higher, the real cost of healthcare abroad remains largely unknown to the general public. Between heavily subsidized health systems and fully liberalized markets, the price of a simple medical consultation can vary dramatically from one country to another, with direct consequences for travelers.

The HelloSafe International Health Cost Index (IHCI) was created to provide a clear, comparative, and accessible view of these differences, based on a consistent methodology and data covering the main regions of the world. The study aims to inform travelers, short-term expatriates, and professionals on the move about the potential expenses they may face in case of medical care or an emergency. By analyzing the cost of consultations, hospital stays, medication, emergency care, and insurance, the IHCI highlights both the most expensive and the most affordable countries.

United States, Switzerland, Singapore: the 3 most expensive countries for healthcare

The ranking reveals major global disparities, with a widening gap between countries with “premium” medical systems and those offering broader accessibility at lower cost. The United States and Switzerland clearly dominate the top of the ranking, illustrating the combined effect of highly specialized medical services and a largely privatized healthcare market. Behind them, a group of high-income countries — Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Nordic countries, Japan — maintain elevated costs, driven by cutting-edge infrastructure and limited coverage for visitors.

At the other end of the spectrum, destinations such as Mexico, Brazil, or Thailand remain attractive thanks to a well-developed and affordable private sector. Overall, the IHCI shows that healthcare costs for visitors are not strictly correlated with a country’s level of economic development: they depend above all on the local financing model, the degree of privatization, and how far non-residents are included in insurance and public coverage schemes.

In Europe, Northern countries are the most expensive for healthcare

The European ranking reveals a clear divide between Northwestern Europe — where health systems are high-performing but very expensive for non-residents — and Southern and Eastern Europe, where access to care remains generally affordable. Nordic countries, along with Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, show high prices driven by advanced medical infrastructure and a strong reliance on private or mandatory insurance for travelers. By contrast, Southern Europe offers a better cost/quality balance, particularly in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, where private care remains competitive.

Further east, the Balkans and Eastern Europe show the lowest costs on the continent, reflecting very accessible financing models but sometimes more heterogeneous quality. Overall, Europe presents a contrasted picture where economic development levels do not fully explain what visitors actually pay: structural choices, the role of the private sector, and insurance models are the main drivers of the final cost for travelers.

Africa: South Africa is the most expensive country for healthcare

Across Africa, healthcare costs are highly heterogeneous, mainly influenced by economic development, the presence of a structured private sector, and dependence on imported medical products and technology. The most expensive countries, such as South Africa, Mauritius, and Seychelles, stand out for their well-developed private networks, which remain costly for travelers. At the opposite end, a large part of the continent shows very low prices, reflecting cheap public tariffs but also, at times, limited capacity and infrastructure.

North Africa occupies an intermediate position, benefiting from relatively solid infrastructure and an attractive profile for medical tourism. In East and West Africa, cost levels vary widely depending on urbanization and the quality of the private sector. In conflict-affected or economically fragile countries, a lack of reliable data makes it difficult to accurately assess access and pricing, and these countries are therefore not fully integrated into the index.

Asia: from “premium” systems to very affordable care

Asia displays an extremely contrasted healthcare landscape, ranging from some of the most expensive “premium” systems in the world — such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and major Gulf capitals — to countries where care remains very accessible, particularly in South Asia. Advanced East Asian economies — Japan, South Korea, Taiwan — combine high technological standards with costs that are often more moderate for visitors than in Western countries.

Southeast Asia stands out as a major hub for medical tourism, with Thailand and Malaysia offering an excellent cost/quality balance. In lower-income countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Nepal, very low prices often go hand in hand with more limited infrastructure and resources. As in other regions, countries affected by conflict or instability lack reliable data, preventing their full inclusion in the index.

Americas & Caribbean: among the most expensive regions for healthcare

The Americas present extreme contrasts: the region includes both the most expensive healthcare system in the world — the United States — and some of the most affordable, such as Bolivia or Cuba. North America dominates the top of the ranking due to the weight of the private sector and the lack of subsidized access for visitors. In South America, costs remain generally moderate, supported by reasonably priced private sectors in countries such as Chile, Uruguay, and Colombia.

In Central America, care is generally affordable, although quality can vary significantly. The Caribbean oscillates between very expensive systems (Bahamas, Bermuda) and more mixed models offering better value. As in other regions, political or economic instability in some countries limits data availability and makes it difficult to include them completely in the index.

Data Sources

1. Economic data and purchasing power parity

• World Bank – World Development Indicators
• OECD – Health at a Glance 2024
• Numbeo – Cost of Living & Health Care Index 2025
• IMF – World Economic Outlook Database

2. Health data and medical cost benchmarks

• World Health Organization (WHO) – Global Health Expenditure Database
• International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP) – Comparative Price Reports
• Expatistan – Healthcare Cost Comparison by City (2025)
• OECD Health Data – Average hospital and consultation costs
• National Ministries of Health – official publications and annual reports

3. Travel insurance and international health coverage

• Allianz Partners, AXA Assistance, Cigna Global – Travel insurance cost benchmarks
• OECD / WHO – Universal health coverage statistics
• Comparative studies by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

4. Data adjustments and weighting

• Exchange rates and PPP adjustments via the World Bank (2025)
• Cross-checking with World Population Review and Global Health Index 2025
• Validation against local studies and public hospital data

Methodology of the International Health Cost Index (IHCI)

The goal of the IHCI is to evaluate and compare the relative cost of healthcare across key countries, in order to help travelers understand the potential expenses they may face if they need medical care abroad.

1. Criteria and weighting

2. Detail of key criteria

A. Cost of routine care (30%)

Evaluates the expenses a traveler might face during a minor health episode.

• General practitioner and specialist consultations
• Basic blood tests
• Average price of essential medications (antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatories)

B. Cost of emergency care (25%)

Measures the costs in case of an accident or acute illness:

• Emergency room admission
• Imaging (X-ray, CT scan)
• Light intensive care
• Unplanned urgent procedures

C. Hospitalization (25%)

Compares the costs associated with:

• One day of hospitalization in a standard room
• A common surgical procedure (appendicitis, fracture, etc.)
• Specialized services (monitoring, anesthesia)

Private sector prices are used as the main reference, as private hospitals and clinics are often the only realistic option for travelers who need rapid, high-quality care.

D. Private sector: quality, price, and accessibility (10%)

Composite criterion assessing:

• Average prices charged in the private sector
• Accessibility for foreigners (waiting times, refusals, immediate access)
• Technological level (equipment, international accreditations, presence of premium clinics)

E. Local insurance / coverage for non-residents (10%)

This criterion focuses specifically on the ability of a traveler to obtain local health coverage, not the coverage available to residents.

• Availability of short-term local health insurance products
• Average price of temporary coverage
• Whether non-residents can be included in some public schemes
• Level of reimbursement for major or catastrophic events

The more limited or expensive this coverage is, the higher the IHCI score for the country — and the more costly it is considered for visitors.

3. Conversion into an IHCI score

1. Convert all cost values into USD
2. Adjust via a purchasing power parity (PPP) coefficient
3. Normalize each indicator on a 0–100 scale
4. Apply the weights by criterion
5. Aggregate into a final IHCI score per country

4. Update frequency

The index is updated annually, with a full review of weights and indicators every three years in order to track:

• Global medical inflation
• Structural changes and reforms in health systems
• New patterns and products in international and travel health insurance

By combining quantitative rigor with qualitative analysis, the International Health Cost Index is designed as a decision-support tool for travelers, tourism professionals, and public authorities, highlighting both the world’s most expensive countries for healthcare and those where care remains most accessible.