COVID-19 PCR test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 11 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $22.00 to $137.80, with a median of $72.00. The lowest listed price is at Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital — $50.00 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $124.80 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 10 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 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital lowest Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 POC Rapid Nasal COVID Test | $22.00 | $27.50 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION | $64.80 | $90.00 | $25.20–$128.28 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION | $64.80 | $90.00 | $25.20–$128.28 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 COVID19 PRB | $67.98 | $113.30 | $113.30 | 40% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION | $68.40 | $95.00 | $19.00–$95.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION | $72.00 | $100.00 | $28.00–$128.28 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis one side Saint Louis, MO POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $116.35 | $179.00 | $11.64–$179.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson one side Festus, MO POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington one side Washington, MO POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$180.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis one side Saint Louis, MO Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South one side Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South one side Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $130.00 | $200.00 | $46.18–$115.45 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $137.80 | $212.00 | $13.78–$212.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST | $142.56 | $198.00 | $30.13–$198.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST | $144.00 | $200.00 | $40.00–$200.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington one side Washington, MO Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $148.20 | $228.00 | $14.82–$205.20 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST | $156.24 | $217.00 | $31.63–$217.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson one side Festus, MO Covid-19, Rt-Pcr | $156.65 | $241.00 | $46.18–$115.45 | 35% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST | $165.60 | $230.00 | $30.13–$230.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST | $288.00 | $400.00 | $30.13–$400.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $331.92 | $461.00 | $30.13–$461.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST | $342.00 | $475.00 | $31.63–$475.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $367.20 | $510.00 | $51.31–$510.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $382.32 | $531.00 | $30.13–$531.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $22.00, median $72.00, highest $137.80 — a 6.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $68.19. 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 10 of 10 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
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.