The Burrow
May 12, 2025
Undergoing surgery can be a daunting prospect. Depending on the type of surgery, the recovery period and lead up to medical procedures can cause high levels physical and emotional stress.1 When combined with monetary costs, it’s easy to see why some people dread medical visits.
In 2021, Australians spent an estimated AU$220.9 billion on health goods and services domestically. Per person, this equates to about AU$8,617 each.2
As experts in helping Australians compare health insurance, we wanted to see just how expensive various common surgeries are across the world before any rebates or insurances are applied.
Here’s what we found.
Prices varied heavily between each country studied, however the USA was the most expensive for four of the seven surgeries we looked at, almost doubling the cost of the second most country in each surgery.
Knee replacements within the USA were the most expensive surgery of those studied, at an average price of AU$55,612 (US$35,000). Germany followed this up as the second most expensive at AU$29,667 (EU€18,021).
The USA was the most expensive for hip replacements as well, at AU$44,755 (US$28,167), this time followed up by New Zealand, at AU$26,411 (NZ$29,374).
The same goes for both appendectomies and gastric bypasses, in which the USA was far more expensive than the other countries in the study, at AU$29,779 (US$18,742) for a typical appendectomy and AU$39,723 (US$25,000) for a gastric bypass.
It’s not all bad news for those in America though, with rhinoplasty costs being the second cheapest of the study, at AU$9,525 (US$5,995), while New Zealand was the most expensive at AU$16,845 (NZ$18,750).
Aside from the USA, each of the countries within our study were quite similar in costs for surgeries.
The United Kingdom was the cheapest country for appendectomies, at an average price point of AU$4,937 (UK£2,297). Australia and Canada both followed this closely at AU$6,185 and AU$6,737 (CA$6,058) respectively.
Meanwhile Canada took the cheapest spot for cataract surgeries, landing with an average of AU$3,818 (CA$3,433), which barely edged out both Australia and New Zealand which came in with rates of AU$4,700 and AU$4,495 (NZ$5,004) respectively.
Australia was the cheapest for colonoscopies, with a typical price of AU$2,050. Each of the other countries follow Australia closely, with prices ranging from Canada’s AU$2,502 (CA$2,250) to the United Kingdom’s AU$5,332 (UK£2,697).
Canada was the second cheapest country for gastric bypasses, with a rate of AU$11,994 (CA$10,785). Australia and Germany placed as runners up, with similar price points at AU$14,300 and AU$13,993 (EU€8,500).
Germany’s first of two cheapest placements came in with hip replacements, with an average pricing of AU$12,018 (EU€7,303). This placement was actually much cheaper than each of the others within the study, with Canada placing as second cheapest at a rate of AU$19,033 (CA$17,124).
Canada’s third cheapest placement comes with knee replacements, at an average cost of AU$17,680 (CA$15,898). The United Kingdom came in as second cheapest destination for knee replacement surgeries with a typical pricing of AU$21,014 (UK£10,629).
Rounding out the surgeries on our list, Germany placed as the cheapest country for rhinoplasties at AU$9,054 (EU€5,500).
| Country | Appendectomy | Cataract Surgery | Colonoscopy | Gastric Bypass | Hip Replacement | Knee Replacement | Rhinoplasty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $6,185 | $4,700 | $2,050 | $14,300 | $25,600 | $23,200 | $10,300 |
| Canada | $6,737 | $3,818 | $2,502 | $11,994 | $19,033 | $17,680 | $11,488 |
| Germany | $12,018 | $14,939 | — | $13,993 | $12,018 | $29,667 | $9,054 |
| New Zealand | $11,679 | $4,495 | $2,783 | $24,037 | $26,411 | $27,041 | $16,845 |
| USA | $29,779 | $6,186 | $4,700 | $39,723 | $44,755 | $55,612 | $9,525 |
| United Kingdom | $4,937 | $6,564 | $5,332 | $21,014 | $22,087 | $21,014 | $13,839 |
Note: Cells shaded in green indicates the cheapest per surgery, red indicates most expensive
Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of Health Insurance, Steven Spicer, notes how private health insurance can help you with the surgery process.
“Surgeries are scary for anyone, especially those paying out of pocket,” Mr Spicer said.
“Having private hospital insurance in Australia can help you cover the costs of your surgery, provided your policy includes the procedure you need and you are out of the waiting period.
“Being treated in a private hospital presents many benefits, including your choice of available doctor, a private room to recover in (provided one is available), and the ability to avoid potentially long public waiting lists.
“When looking at health insurance policies, it’s important to search around to look for the best cover for your health status and lifestyle.”
Prices were sourced from government bodies where able. Otherwise, quotes were sourced from multiple clinics per surgery per country and averaged together to find a “typical” price. Prices listed are taken as quotes before any insurance or rebates are taken into account. Prices are intended as an example and not a definitive figure. Price sources are listed below:
Other Sources: