COVID-19 PCR test cost in San Jose, CA — inpatient
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $12.83 to $166.80, with a median of $113.12. The lowest listed price is at El Camino Hospital — $100.29 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $95.68 at 96 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 87635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino Hospital lowest Mountain View, CA · (650) 940-7000 HC 139900 LABCORP - COVID-19 | $12.83 | $51.31 | — | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| El Camino Hospital Mountain View, CA · (650) 940-7000 HC POCT SARS-COV2 LIAT | $50.00 | $200.00 | — | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| El Camino Hospital one side Mountain View, CA · (650) 940-7000 HC ECH RAPID SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR 2019 NOVEL CORONA VIRUS | $86.50 | $346.00 | — | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| El Camino Hospital one side Mountain View, CA · (650) 940-7000 HC ECH LOS GATOS KIT RAPID SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR 2019 NOVEL CORONA VIRUS | $86.50 | $346.00 | — | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa Clara Santa Clara, CA · (408) 236-6400 IADNA SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE TQ | $113.12 | $202.00 | $48.00–$150.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Jose San Jose, CA · (408) 972-7000 IADNA SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE TQ | $113.12 | $202.00 | $48.00–$150.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA · (650) 723-4000 Labstatcovrespcr Cov-19 | $166.80 | $417.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA · (650) 723-4000 Labcovrespcr Cov-19 | $166.80 | $417.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care one side Stanford, CA · (650) 723-4000 Labcov2allele Allele Rt Pcr | $166.80 | $417.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care one side Stanford, CA · (650) 723-4000 Labcovid19 Coronavirus Rt Pcr | $166.80 | $417.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care one side Stanford, CA · (650) 723-4000 Labsars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $166.80 | $417.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $12.83, median $113.12, highest $166.80 — a 13.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $113.12 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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
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.