COVID-19 PCR test cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $156.00 to $191.50, with a median of $191.50. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $35.50 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $71.50 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 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 Columbia, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw Medical Center lowest Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID (POCT) | $156.00 | $312.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kershaw Medical Center lowest Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID | $156.00 | $312.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID (POCT) | $191.50 | $383.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID | $191.50 | $383.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID (POCT) | $191.50 | $383.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB SARS COV-2 PCR RAPID | $191.50 | $383.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $156.00, median $191.50, highest $191.50 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $191.50. 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.