Breast MRI, both breasts cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of both breasts, without and then with contrast dye: from $4,844.95 to $5,292.00, with a median of $5,068.48. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $223.53 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $3,328.15 at 27 hospitals.
- The median here, $5,068.48, is 140% above the US median of $2,110.75.
- That is 14.2× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($356.43).
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 10 cities for code 77049, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 2026 and May 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 MRI Scan of Both Breasts Before and After Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $4,844.95 | $8,809.00 | $337.84–$4,404.50 | 45% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Mri Breast W/Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $5,292.00 | $7,056.00 | — | 25% |
| Scripps Green Hospital both sides La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC MR Breast WO/W Bilat File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,160.19 | $4,640.78 | $217.60–$3,712.62 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC MR Breast WO/W Bilat File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,160.19 | $4,640.78 | $217.60–$3,712.62 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla both sides La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC MR Breast WO/W Bilat File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,160.19 | $4,640.78 | $217.60–$3,712.62 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC MR Breast WO/W Bilat File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,160.19 | $4,640.78 | $217.60–$3,712.62 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas both sides Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC MR Breast WO/W Bilat File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,160.19 | $4,640.78 | $217.60–$3,712.62 | 75% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos both sides San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 MRI BREAST WITHOUT&WITH CONTRAST W/CAD BILATERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,196.00 | $2,300.00 | $335.00–$995.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 MRI BREAST WITHOUT&WITH CONTRAST W/CAD BILATERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,196.00 | $2,300.00 | $335.00–$995.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 MRI BREAST WITHOUT&WITH CONTRAST W/CAD BILATERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,196.00 | $2,300.00 | $335.00–$995.00 | 48% |
| Tri-City Medical Center both sides Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 MRI Breast w/ + w/o Contrast Bilateral. File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $1,643.17 | $2,738.61 | $341.22–$2,478.00 | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido both sides Escondido, CA MRI Breast Bilat w/contrast+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,179.06 | $3,631.76 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway both sides Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 MRI Breast Bilat w/o contrast F/W c+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,179.06 | $3,631.76 | — | 40% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital both sides San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC MRI BREAST BI/CAD W/WO CO File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,663.75 | $4,885.00 | $0.52–$4,787.30 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital both sides La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC MRI BREAST BI/CAD W/WO CO File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,663.75 | $4,885.00 | $1.10–$4,396.50 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center both sides Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC MRI BREAST BI/CAD W/WO CO File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,663.75 | $4,885.00 | $1.00–$4,396.50 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center both sides Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC MRI BREAST BI/CAD W/WO CO File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,663.75 | $4,885.00 | $1.00–$3,908.00 | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Mri Scan Of Breasts Bilateral Before And After Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $4,844.95 | $8,809.00 | $337.84–$11,892.15 | 45% |
Outpatient: lowest $4,844.95, median $5,068.48, highest $5,292.00 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $1,160.19, median $1,419.59, highest $4,844.95 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $5,068.48. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What breast MRI, both breasts is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Breast MRI, both breasts explained.