Urine culture cost in Pittsburgh, PA
In Pittsburgh, PA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count: from $25.62 to $436.20, with a median of $80.40. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Washington — $54.78 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $59.40 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 8 cities for code 87086, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Mar 6, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 URINE CULTURE | $25.62 | $36.60 | $5.65–$26.35 | 30% | — source file |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $54.60 | $91.00 | $7.98–$80.08 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CULTURE URINE CLEAN CATCH | $57.00 | $95.00 | $32.02–$74.10 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CULTURE URINE CATH | $57.00 | $95.00 | $32.02–$74.10 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CULTURE URINE CYSTO | $57.00 | $95.00 | $32.02–$74.10 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 URINE CULTURE | $65.40 | $109.00 | $29.32–$133.58 | 40% | — source file |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 URINE CULTURE/COLONY COUNT | $74.00 | $148.00 | $7.62–$171.55 | 50% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $74.40 | $124.00 | $7.48–$105.40 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 CULTURE URINE ROUTINE | $74.40 | $124.00 | $7.48–$105.40 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $80.40 | $134.00 | $6.73–$120.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $89.40 | $149.00 | $7.19–$134.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC CULTURE URINE SPECIAL | $102.00 | $170.00 | $7.55–$156.40 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC CULTURE URINE W/COLONY COUNT | $108.00 | $180.00 | $7.55–$165.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $118.20 | $197.00 | $7.98–$157.60 | 40% | — source file |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 BACTERIAL COLONY COUNT; URINE | $144.00 | $288.00 | $7.62–$171.55 | 50% | — source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $173.40 | $289.00 | $6.97–$245.65 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 CULTURE URINE ROUTINE | $173.40 | $289.00 | $6.97–$245.65 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 CULTURE URINE SPECIAL | $173.40 | $289.00 | $6.97–$245.65 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC CULTURE URINE SPECIAL | $241.80 | $403.00 | $7.50–$342.55 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC CULTURE URINE W/COLONY COUNT | $255.60 | $426.00 | $7.50–$362.10 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 CULTURE URINE ROUTINE | $436.20 | $727.00 | $7.98–$617.95 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 CULTURE URINE QNT COL CT | $490.20 | $817.00 | $7.98–$694.45 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $25.62, median $80.40, highest $436.20 — a 17.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $84.90. 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 13 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 urine culture grows bacteria from a urine sample in the lab and counts how many colonies appear. It is used to confirm a urinary tract infection, especially when symptoms return or first treatment does not work.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the culture and colony count. If bacteria grow, identifying them and testing which antibiotics work are separate codes with their own charges.