Healthcare Cost Calculator
Compare healthcare costs in 49 countries vs the US. Private insurance, GP visits, specialist fees, ER costs, and prescription prices adjusted by age and household.
Powered by our WHO & OECD health data · methodology
Data last updated: June 2026
Quick answer
The WhereNext Healthcare Cost Calculator compares private + public healthcare costs across 49 countries against a US baseline: monthly premium, GP visit, specialist visit, ER visit, prescription, dental — adjusted for household size, age range, and coverage level. Private health insurance ranges from ~$40/mo (India, Egypt, Vietnam) to ~$500/mo (US private). GP visits: $225 US · $45–90 most of EU · $12–45 SE Asia. Public-system access varies: universal-coverage EU countries (UK NHS, France PUMA, Spain/Portugal SNS) admit residents after registration; mandatory-insurance countries (Germany, NL, CH) require purchase; two-tier systems (Thailand, SG) restrict expats to private.
Key facts
- 49 countries indexed private + public + per-visit costs vs US baseline · WHO + OECD health expenditure data.
- Private premium range ~$40/mo (India, Egypt) to ~$500/mo (US private) for a single person.
- GP visit cost range $12–45 SE Asia · $45–90 EU · $225 US · 5–18× US/SE Asia gap.
- Public access by country type universal (UK/FR/ES/PT) · mandatory (DE/NL/CH) · two-tier (TH/SG/MX) · free-for-all (BR/AR) · age + visa rules tracked.
- Pairs with retirement-budget age-adjusted health-insurance bands feed into the FIRE + retirement budget calculators.
Healthcare costs — 5 countries vs US baseline
Five common line items. Grey bar = US median; primary-green = destination median; amber appears only when the destination is MORE expensive than the US (rare for healthcare).
Verified · WhereNext healthcare-cost dataset
Private ins./mo
GP visit
Specialist visit
ER visit
Dental cleaning
| Line item | Country | Local range | US median | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private ins./mo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $56-$104 | $500 | −$420 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $70-$130 | $500 | −$400 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $56-$104 | $500 | −$420 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $28-$52 | $500 | −$460 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇪🇸 Spain | $70-$130 | $500 | −$400 |
| GP visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $45-$90 | $225 | −$157 |
| GP visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $25-$45 | $225 | −$190 |
| GP visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $25-$45 | $225 | −$190 |
| GP visit | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $10-$25 | $225 | −$207 |
| GP visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $40-$75 | $225 | −$167 |
| Specialist visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $75-$150 | $375 | −$262 |
| Specialist visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $40-$75 | $375 | −$317 |
| Specialist visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $40-$75 | $375 | −$317 |
| Specialist visit | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $20-$40 | $375 | −$345 |
| Specialist visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $65-$125 | $375 | −$280 |
| ER visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $360-$750 | $1.9K | −$1.3K |
| ER visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $180-$375 | $1.9K | −$1.6K |
| ER visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $180-$375 | $1.9K | −$1.6K |
| ER visit | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $95-$200 | $1.9K | −$1.7K |
| ER visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $300-$625 | $1.9K | −$1.4K |
| Dental cleaning | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $30-$60 | $150 | −$105 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $15-$30 | $150 | −$127 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $15-$30 | $150 | −$127 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $10-$15 | $150 | −$137 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇪🇸 Spain | $25-$50 | $150 | −$112 |
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How much does healthcare cost for expats abroad?
Healthcare costs vary dramatically by country. Private health insurance for a single person ranges from $40/month in India and Egypt to $500/month in the United States. In Western Europe, countries like Portugal, Spain, and France offer public healthcare access after residency registration, with monthly costs near zero plus small copays. In Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines), private insurance runs $40-100/month with GP visits costing $10-45. The biggest savings come from per-visit costs: a GP visit averages $225 in the US but $45-90 in most European countries and $12-45 in Southeast Asia. Source: WhereNext Healthcare Cost Calculator, WHO and OECD health expenditure data; per-dataset freshness at /data.
Can expats access public healthcare abroad?
It depends on the country and your visa type. In universal healthcare countries like the UK (NHS), France (PUMA), Spain (SNS), and Portugal (SNS), legal residents can access the public system after registration, often with 0-3 month waiting periods. In mandatory insurance countries like Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland, you must purchase health insurance but costs are regulated. In two-tier systems like Thailand, Singapore, and Mexico, the public system is limited to citizens while expats rely on private insurance. Some countries like Brazil and Argentina offer free public healthcare to everyone, including visitors, though quality varies by region. Source: WhereNext Healthcare Cost Calculator, national health ministry publications; per-dataset freshness at /data.
▶▼Methodology & related tools
Compare healthcare costs in 49 countries against the US baseline. See private insurance premiums, GP and specialist visit costs, emergency room fees, and prescription prices — adjusted for your household size, age range, and coverage level.
Planning your budget? Build a full monthly budget for any country including rent, groceries, transport, and healthcare estimates.
When to use this tool
- You want to know how much healthcare will cost in a specific country vs the US
- You are deciding between public and private coverage as an expat
- You need per-visit cost estimates for GP, specialist, ER, and dental visits
- You are comparing healthcare systems across multiple countries