COVID-19 PCR test cost in California

In California, 212 hospitals publish a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $12.83 to $474.00, with a median of $94.62. The lowest price is at El Camino Hospital (Mountain View). The highest price is 36.9× the lowest.

• The median here, $94.62, is 4% below the US median of $98.92.
• That is 1.8× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($51.31).
• California ranks 20th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 61 of 212 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 87635. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map