Bacterial culture (wound) cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $22.36 to $150.80, with a median of $118.50. The lowest listed price is at Tri-City Medical Center — $96.14 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $133.00 at 189 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center lowest Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Wound Culture and Gram Stain MB ARUP File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $22.36 | $37.26 | $26.08–$29.03 | 40% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Sterility Culture Testing File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $34.10 | $62.00 | $7.44–$83.70 | 45% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Culture,Bacterial Screen File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $35.25 | $47.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Bacterial Culture File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $37.95 | $69.00 | $8.28–$93.15 | 45% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrlj-Wound Culture+13 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.25 | $75.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Wound Culture+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $57.00 | $76.00 | — | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Culture Catheter Tip+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $65.34 | $108.90 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Culture Wound Aer/Ana with Gram Sta+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $65.34 | $108.90 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Pph - Culture Wound Aer/Ana With Gram Stain File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $71.25 | $95.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Culture Routine File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $85.50 | $114.00 | — | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC CULTURE ROUTINE source file | $118.50 | $158.00 | $46.93–$126.40 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC CULTURE ROUTINE source file | $118.50 | $158.00 | $44.24–$154.84 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC CULTURE ROUTINE source file | $118.50 | $158.00 | $22.12–$126.40 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC CULTURE ROUTINE source file | $118.50 | $158.00 | $23.70–$126.40 | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Cult Pre Id Sputum 306+37 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $126.00 | $168.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Cult Pre Id Csf File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $126.75 | $169.00 | — | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Culture Environmental+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $130.69 | $217.82 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Culture Nasal+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $130.69 | $217.82 | — | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL source file | $150.80 | $290.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL source file | $150.80 | $290.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL source file | $150.80 | $290.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Respiratory Culture+9 more lines at this price File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $206.17 | $343.62 | $240.53–$267.68 | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Environmental Culture File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $232.50 | $310.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Csf Culture File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $260.25 | $347.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Culture,Routine File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $317.25 | $423.00 | — | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Surgical Culture File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $383.16 | $638.60 | $447.02–$497.47 | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $22.36, median $118.50, highest $150.80 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $118.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. 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 it is
A bacterial culture grows bacteria from a sample such as a wound, throat swab, eye or fluid to find which germ causes an infection. It takes one to three days.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test; collecting the sample may be billed separately.