MRI and Scans in China: Published Prices, Hospitals and How to Book
磁共振与影像检查
What an MRI, CT or PET-CT scan costs in China — on government price lists, in international departments and inside a check-up package — which hospitals list imaging departments, and how international patients book a scan. Every price has a source.
Written by ChinaMedMap Editorial TeamSources checked 2 October 2026Access and logistics information — not medically reviewed
Quick answer. A plain MRI scan is listed at ¥430 per body part at a Grade III public hospital in Shanghai and ¥505 in Guangzhou; a plain CT scan at ¥189 and ¥231. These are government maximums for the ordinary service of public hospitals in 2025. In an international department, add the consultation — ¥500 to ¥4,000 per visit on the lists we have read, depending on the hospital and the doctor’s rank. These figures are for reference only: the price that counts is the one the hospital confirms to you in writing.[2],[4],[5],[6]
How much does an MRI cost in China?
Public hospitals in China charge for scans from a price list set by the provincial and city healthcare security administrations. The list gives a maximum price for each kind of scan, per body part, in three tiers by hospital grade. The table shows the top tier — Grade III hospitals, which include the large hospitals we profile — in two cities whose current lists we have read. Prices are in Chinese yuan (RMB), as published.
For reference only. The prices on this page are published list prices, read on the dates shown. The price you actually pay is the one the hospital confirms to you in writing.
A plain scan is one done without a contrast agent; an enhanced scan is one done with it. The lists price the two separately.
These are list prices for the ordinary service of public hospitals, not quotes, and they are not what an international department will necessarily charge — see below.
Scans are priced per body part, by the kind of scan rather than by the machine.
Government maximum prices at Grade III public hospitals, per body part (RMB)[2],[4]
Scan, as named on the list
Shanghai — in force from 30 April 2025
Guangzhou — catalogue of 1 September 2025
MRI, plain
¥430
¥505
MRI, enhanced
¥455
¥550
CT, plain
¥189
¥231
CT, enhanced
¥295
¥305
PET-CT, one region
¥2,500
¥2,500
PET-CT, trunk
¥4,000
¥4,000
More than one body part, contrast and PET-CT
A scan of several body parts does not simply multiply the price. In Shanghai the second part of an MRI is charged at 75%, the third at 50% and any further part is free; for CT the second part is 50%, the third 25% and further parts are free. In Guangzhou more than three body parts are charged as three.
When a plain and an enhanced scan are done together, Shanghai charges once, at the enhanced price. Guangzhou charges the enhanced scan at 50% when it follows a plain scan of the same part straight away.
For PET-CT, Shanghai caps the charge including the tracer drug: ¥4,000 for one region, ¥5,500 for the trunk and ¥6,500 for the whole body. Guangzhou's catalogue states that nuclear medicine items do not include the cost of the radioactive drug.
Prices are lower at Grade II and Grade I hospitals: a plain MRI is ¥393 and ¥355 in Shanghai, and ¥454.50 and ¥404 in Guangzhou.
In November 2024 the National Healthcare Security Administration published a national guideline that merged the existing radiology price items into 26. Scans are now priced by technique and by whether contrast is used. An ordinary CT scan is no longer priced by the number of detector rows of the machine. The guideline also asked provinces to lower price levels in line with the falling purchase price of large scanners.
Processing, uploading and storing the digital images is part of the price, and a hospital that cannot provide cloud storage has to charge less. Printed film is no longer bundled: patients buy it only if they want it, at cost. Shanghai lists film at ¥20 a sheet and says paper prints are free.
In May 2025 an official of the administration said that some provinces had already brought CT scans down to about ¥200 and MRI scans to about ¥500. China Daily reported the same change as CT from about 300 yuan ($41.7) to 200 yuan and MRI from around 600 yuan to 500 yuan.
Guangzhou shows the scale of the change. On 30 December 2024 the city cut a plain MRI scan on a machine above 1.5T from ¥840 to ¥628.52 and a whole-body PET-CT from ¥6,375 to ¥5,599.56. Its catalogue of September 2025 lists a plain MRI at ¥505.
Paying privately means three different things in China, and they are priced differently.
Paying yourself in the ordinary service of a public hospital. You pay the government list price in the table above: ¥430 to ¥505 for a plain MRI of one body part at a Grade III hospital. Expect to queue and to manage in Chinese.
The international or special-needs department of a public hospital. These departments are market-priced: each hospital sets and publishes its own prices. What they publish is mostly the consultation and the service around it — booking, a staff member who accompanies you, interpreting — rather than the scan itself.
A private or foreign-invested hospital. Their prices are set by the market too. All the hospitals we profile so far are public, so we have no published private-hospital price to cite.
The table shows what international and special-needs departments publish. Peking Union Medical College Hospital states that its International Medical Services follow a separate price standard that is higher than ordinary care and is not reimbursed by public insurance. Foreign patients seen in international departments pay by commercial insurance or out of pocket.
Put together, the published figures give a rough guide. In Guangzhou, a plain MRI of one body part at the list price (¥505) plus an international consultation at the First Affiliated Hospital (¥500 to ¥1,200) comes to about ¥1,000 to ¥1,700. In Beijing, Peking Union Medical College Hospital lists an MRI check-up item at ¥2,300, and Peking University People’s Hospital lists expert consultations for international patients at ¥1,000 to ¥4,000. These are sums of published items, not quotes. A hospital may price the scan differently for international patients, so ask for the total in writing, with the body part named and contrast, film and the report included or not.
We found no MRI, CT or PET-CT item on the special-needs price list of the First Affiliated Hospital (121 items), or among the entries we could read on Peking University Shenzhen Hospital’s list (125 items), which is why there is no separate international price for the scan itself in the table.
For reference only. The prices on this page are published list prices, read on the dates shown. The price you actually pay is the one the hospital confirms to you in writing.
International medical consultation service: booking by phone or email, a staff member who accompanies you through registration, consultation and tests, English or French interpreting, an English translation of the visit record, and help with insurance cover and direct billing
MRI check-up item on the hospital’s health management platform (the page does not say what it covers)
¥2,300
An MRI as part of a health check-up
Many international visitors have a scan as part of a health check-up rather than on its own. Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s health management platform lists packages with and without MRI, which shows roughly what adding one costs. The page does not list what each package contains, so the difference between two packages may cover more than the MRI.
The hospital’s International Medical Services says it has MRI, CT and endoscopy facilities, staff who manage the bookings and a fast track for check-up clients. For an inpatient check-up, the overall report is generally ready 10 to 15 working days after discharge.
A check-up package bundles the scan with the consultation and the tests.
Peking Union Medical College Hospital — check-up packages with and without MRI (RMB, as listed on 2 October 2026)[21]
Package, as listed
Men
Women
Standard package B
¥9,485
¥11,868
Standard package C, with MRI
¥12,790
¥14,773
VIP package B, with MRI
¥29,589
¥31,839
VIP package for age 65 and over, with MRI
¥27,503
¥25,953
MRI check-up item
¥2,300
¥2,300
Compare hospitals in our directory
The table lists every hospital we profile whose official department directory includes imaging departments — radiology, ultrasound or nuclear medicine. The first number is how many such departments it lists; the full list, with its source, is on each hospital's profile. A hospital missing from the table may still have scanners: we count only what its published department list shows.
Language and billing entries come from each hospital's international unit page or a government directory, as cited on its profile. "Not yet confirmed" means we have not found it on an official source — it does not mean the service is unavailable.
Hospitals in our directory with imaging departments — sources on each hospital's profile
Grade III, Class A is the highest tier in China’s hospital grading; 1,876 hospitals held it at the end of 2024. The grade describes a hospital’s scale and scope. It does not tell you how quickly a scan can be booked or whether the report can be issued in English, so check both with the international unit.
The grade does matter for price: government scan prices are set in tiers by hospital grade, and the tables on this page use the Grade III tier. See how hospitals in China are graded.
A scan in a Chinese hospital is ordered by a doctor at that hospital. You see a doctor first — in the international unit, if the hospital has one — and the doctor issues the request. So plan for a consultation as well as the scan, and send any earlier reports and image files ahead so the doctor can decide what to order.
How long it takes depends on the hospital. The table shows what four hospital pages say. None of the pages we read says whether an English report is offered, so ask.
An outpatient doctor issues the request; the scan is paid for in full by the patient; the report can be collected from 3:30 pm on the second working day after the scan
Staff manage the bookings and there is a fast track for check-up clients; the overall report is generally ready 10 to 15 working days after discharge
A second opinion on scans you already have
If you already have scans, you may not need a new one. A hospital can be asked to look at the images and reports you have. Send the image files themselves — for example DICOM files on a disc or by download link — together with the reports, not only the reports.
China’s rules on recognising test results between hospitals cover Chinese institutions only. A Chinese hospital therefore decides for itself whether to rely on scans made abroad, and may ask for a new one.
At the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, a special-needs consultation with a medical imaging specialist is listed at ¥800 or ¥1,500 per visit. As of October 2026, none of the hospitals we profile says on the pages we read whether it reviews files for patients who are still overseas, so ask the international unit — or ask us to ask for you. Our guide to preparing your medical records covers what to send.
ChinaMedMap is not a hospital and does not sell scans. Tell us which scan you need and what your doctor is looking for, and a person on our team will ask hospitals that list imaging departments whether they can do it, how soon, and what it costs for an international patient — and reply to you with what they say. Nothing is shared with a hospital until you agree, and we cannot promise that a hospital will accept you.
Send these to the hospital's international unit together with your records.
Questions to ask the international unit
Ask
Why it matters
What is the price for this body part, in the international department?
Published government prices apply to the ordinary service; the international department sets its own.
Does the price include the contrast agent, the tracer drug, film and the report?
Lists price these items separately.
Do I need to see a doctor at your hospital first, and what does that consultation cost?
The scan is ordered by a doctor at the hospital.
How soon can the scan be done, and when is the report ready?
It decides how many days you need to stay.
Can the report be issued in English, and how do I get the image files?
Your doctor at home will need both.
Can you bill my insurer directly?
Direct billing depends on the insurer and the hospital's agreements.
Questions international patients ask
How much does an MRI cost in China?
On government price lists, a plain MRI scan at a Grade III public hospital is ¥430 per body part in Shanghai and ¥505 in Guangzhou; an enhanced scan is ¥455 and ¥550. International departments set their own, higher prices. These figures are for reference; the hospital’s written price is the one that counts.[2],[4]
How much does an MRI cost in China without insurance?
The list price is the full price before any insurance: ¥430 to ¥505 for a plain scan of one body part at a Grade III public hospital in the two cities above. Foreign patients in international departments pay by commercial insurance or out of pocket, at the price that department sets.[2],[4],[8]
What is the cost of a private MRI scan in China?
Paying yourself in the ordinary service of a public hospital, a plain MRI of one body part is ¥430 to ¥505 on the 2025 price lists of Shanghai and Guangzhou. In an international department, add the consultation: published fees run from ¥500 to ¥1,200 per visit at one Guangzhou hospital and ¥1,000 to ¥4,000 at one Beijing hospital. Ask for the total in writing. These figures are for reference; the hospital’s written price is the one that counts.[2],[4],[5],[6]
Is an MRI in an international department more expensive?
Yes. International and special-needs departments set their own prices, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital states that its International Medical Services are priced higher than ordinary care. On the lists we have read, what is priced separately is the consultation and the service around it rather than the scan.[9],[5],[10]
How much does a CT scan cost in China?
A plain CT scan at a Grade III public hospital is listed at ¥189 per body part in Shanghai and ¥231 in Guangzhou; an enhanced scan at ¥295 and ¥305.[2],[4]
How much does a PET-CT scan cost in China?
Both Shanghai and Guangzhou list a PET-CT of the trunk at ¥4,000 at a Grade III hospital, before the tracer drug. Shanghai caps the charge including the drug at ¥5,500 for the trunk and ¥6,500 for the whole body.[2],[4]
Can I just walk in and get an MRI?
No. A scan is ordered by a doctor at the hospital, so you see a doctor first and the doctor issues the request. Contact the international unit before you travel to arrange both.[11],[12]
Will I get my images?
Under national rules the price of a scan includes processing, uploading and storing the digital images, and printed film is sold separately. Ask the hospital how you, as an international patient, can download the images before you leave.[7]
Does a Grade III, Class A hospital mean a faster scan?
No. The grade describes a hospital’s scale and scope, not how quickly a scan can be booked. Ask the international unit how soon the scan can be done and when the report will be ready.[13]
Can I get a second opinion on scans I already have?
You can ask. Send the image files and the reports to the hospital’s international unit. China’s rules on recognising results between hospitals cover Chinese institutions only, so the hospital decides whether to rely on scans made abroad.[14]
This page covers how to access care and what we could confirm from official sources. It does not say whether a treatment is right for you — only a qualified clinician who has reviewed your case can do that. ChinaMedMap is not an emergency service.
广州地区公立医疗机构立项指南目录（2025年9月1日）（中山大学中山眼科中心网站公示）Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University (publishing the Guangzhou price catalogue) · Chinese · dated 2025-09-01 · retrieved 2 October 2026
关于特需医疗服务项目收费标准的公示 — 中山大学附属第一医院The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University · Chinese · dated 2026-06-30 · retrieved 2 October 2026
关于印发《深化医疗服务价格改革试点方案》的通知（医保发〔2021〕41号）National Healthcare Security Administration and seven other departments · Chinese · dated 2021-08-31 · retrieved 2 October 2026
北京协和医院健康管理平台 — 体检套餐列表Peking Union Medical College Hospital · Chinese · retrieved 2 October 2026
2024年我国卫生健康事业发展统计公报National Health Commission · Chinese · dated 2025-12 · retrieved 21 September 2026
【南方都市报】将影像检查等候时间压缩到3天内，中山一院三大平台启用（中山大学附属第一医院网站转载）The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (reposting Southern Metropolis Daily) · Chinese · dated 2022-11-11 · retrieved 2 October 2026
Hospitals in our directory with imaging departments
Each of these hospitals lists at least one such department in its official department directory (sources on each profile). A listed department shows what the hospital offers in general; ask its international unit whether it arranges this care for international patients.
Tell us what you need. A person on our team reviews every request and replies with providers that may fit. We share your details with a provider only after you agree.
