Costa Rica Hospital Costs

The city of San Jose is the country’s medical tourism hub, attracting foreign patients for procedures from liposuction to dental work. Most medical treatments in Costa Rica cost as little as one-third of what they would cost in North America; and increasing numbers of North Americans are making the trip to San Jose for this reason.

The range of procedures offered by plastic surgeons in Costa Rica is extensive, and includes: breast augmentation, reconstruction and reduction; liposuction and lipo-sculpture; total and partial face-lifts; and tummy tucks. Prices for most of these surgeries are typically 50 percent lower than in the US. For example, a face lift, one of the procedures most frequently requested, normally costs from US$6,000 to $12,000 in the US. In Costa Rica, the cost will range from US$3,000 to $4,000, including the clinic stay, the surgery itself, nursing care, medication and aftercare. Those seeking dental treatment will also find great cost savings while receiving top-quality care: dental implants, for example, cost between US$750 and US$850 per implant in Costa Rica, approximately half of the cost in the US.