COVID-19 PCR test cost in Charleston, SC
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 5 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $34.00 to $71.50, with a median of $71.50. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Medical Center — $37.50 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $71.50 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 87635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Medical Center lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID (POCT) | $34.00 | $68.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Medical Center lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID | $34.00 | $68.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $71.50 | $110.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $71.50 | $110.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $71.50 | $110.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $71.50 | $110.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC So Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $114.40 | $176.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC So Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $114.40 | $176.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC HC So Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $114.40 | $176.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC So Iadna Sars-Cov-2-19 Amp Probe Tq | $114.40 | $176.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $34.00, median $71.50, highest $71.50 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $71.50. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
What it is
This is the lab (PCR or similar amplification) test for the virus that causes COVID-19. It is more sensitive than a rapid antigen test and is often required before some procedures or travel.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test on a swab sample; the collection may be billed separately.