MRI scan cost in Korea
In Korean: MRI (em-al-ai)
For MRI scans, Lower back spine (lumbar) has a median price of ₩480,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$362). That is the middle of the prices reported by 1,020 hospitals, 187 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩480,000
US$362
Average
₩500,843
US$378
Lowest
₩200,000
US$151
Highest
₩995,000
US$750
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
MRI scan prices by type
| Type | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain뇌 | ₩489,550 | ₩523,483 | ₩189,035 – ₩1,045,000 | 901 |
| Brain, with contrast뇌 (조영제) | ₩630,000 | ₩662,892 | ₩330,000 – ₩1,375,000 | 257 |
| Brain blood vessels (MRA)뇌혈관 | ₩480,000 | ₩496,429 | ₩117,600 – ₩1,208,000 | 685 |
| Neck spine (cervical)경추 | ₩470,000 | ₩499,959 | ₩200,000 – ₩1,235,460 | 1018 |
| Upper back spine (thoracic)흉추 | ₩480,000 | ₩501,094 | ₩250,000 – ₩973,000 | 954 |
| Lower back spine (lumbar)요천추 | ₩480,000 | ₩500,843 | ₩200,000 – ₩995,000 | 1020 |
| Whole spine전척추 | ₩800,000 | ₩846,539 | ₩100,000 – ₩2,334,500 | 295 |
| Knee슬관절 | ₩460,000 | ₩493,369 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,001,000 | 1026 |
| Shoulder견관절 | ₩470,000 | ₩498,893 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,050,000 | 1024 |
| Ankle발목관절 | ₩470,000 | ₩497,648 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,095,000 | 1006 |
| Hip고관절 | ₩480,000 | ₩502,328 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,001,000 | 1001 |
| Wrist수관절 | ₩470,000 | ₩498,105 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,001,000 | 986 |
| Abdomen복부 | ₩500,500 | ₩549,049 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,033,900 | 380 |
| Liver간 | ₩530,000 | ₩556,499 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,033,900 | 268 |
| Pelvis골반 | ₩500,000 | ₩541,555 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,456,000 | 592 |
| Breast유방 | ₩546,800 | ₩569,339 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,033,900 | 217 |
| Prostate전립선 | ₩540,000 | ₩568,246 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,456,000 | 260 |
| Heart심장 | ₩650,000 | ₩672,220 | ₩250,000 – ₩1,540,000 | 148 |
| Whole body전신 | ₩1,000,000 | ₩1,005,267 | ₩290,000 – ₩1,961,000 | 80 |
Hospitals: how many hospitals reported a price for that type. Prices as reported.
Lower back spine (lumbar) by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩780,450 | ₩786,814 | ₩630,000 – ₩995,000 | 44 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩530,000 | ₩550,423 | ₩317,150 – ₩905,000 | 318 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩450,000 | ₩450,613 | ₩200,000 – ₩700,000 | 626 |
| Korean medicine hospitals한방병원 | ₩505,400 | ₩478,570 | ₩330,000 – ₩581,000 | 28 |
| Long-term care hospitals요양병원 | ₩549,000 | ₩539,344 | ₩400,000 – ₩629,720 | 3 |
University (tertiary) hospitals are the large teaching hospitals such as those of Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities. Small clinics (의원) are not in this data — see how to check a clinic’s price.
Lower back spine (lumbar) by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩480,000 | ₩517,640 | ₩200,000 – ₩995,000 | 187 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩450,000 | ₩495,309 | ₩250,000 – ₩960,000 | 229 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩454,800 | ₩477,095 | ₩290,000 – ₩899,780 | 54 |
| Busan부산 | ₩499,650 | ₩517,586 | ₩300,000 – ₩905,000 | 81 |
| Daegu대구 | ₩470,000 | ₩483,158 | ₩280,000 – ₩750,000 | 54 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩450,000 | ₩490,746 | ₩289,130 – ₩741,800 | 33 |
| Ulsan울산 | ₩600,000 | ₩599,000 | ₩480,000 – ₩788,400 | 21 |
| Sejong세종시 | ₩450,000 | ₩522,925 | ₩450,000 – ₩741,700 | 3 |
| Gangwon강원 | ₩450,000 | ₩490,566 | ₩298,390 – ₩985,500 | 32 |
| Chungbuk충북 | ₩400,000 | ₩426,471 | ₩250,000 – ₩550,000 | 31 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩460,000 | ₩483,431 | ₩370,000 – ₩785,700 | 37 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩450,000 | ₩494,460 | ₩300,000 – ₩906,000 | 39 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩490,000 | ₩494,920 | ₩298,390 – ₩799,120 | 98 |
| Gyeongbuk경북 | ₩500,000 | ₩512,252 | ₩298,390 – ₩780,000 | 38 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩480,000 | ₩502,966 | ₩390,000 – ₩792,750 | 76 |
| Jeju제주 | ₩615,000 | ₩581,500 | ₩400,000 – ₩682,000 | 7 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
MRI uses magnetic fields to take detailed images of the brain, spine, joints and organs. HIRA lists a price for each body part, with and without contrast dye. This page shows the most common scans without contrast, plus brain with contrast.
What the price includes
Prices are for one scan of the stated area, including the radiologist’s reading.
Health insurance
When a doctor orders an MRI to diagnose a suspected disease, National Health Insurance often covers it for insured patients and you pay a co-payment instead. These prices apply when the scan is not covered — for example in a health screening, or if you are not insured.
Ask at the hospital
MRI 가격이 얼마예요?
How much does it cost? — em-al-ai gagyeogi eolmayeyo?
Questions
Why is a whole-body MRI so expensive?
It covers several regions in one session and takes much longer on the machine. It is usually offered as part of premium health check-ups, not as a diagnostic test.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), items HE1010001, HE2010001, HE1350001, HE1090000, HE1100000, HE1110000 and others, updated 23 October 2026.
- Covers hospitals (병원급: university, general, dental, Korean medicine and other hospitals). Small clinics (의원) report to HIRA too but are not in the open data; their prices can be lower or higher.
- Median, average, lowest and highest are HIRA’s own figures. Hospital counts are the number of hospitals listed for each item.
- US$ amounts are rough conversions at ₩1,326 = US$1 (22 Oct 2026). Your card or exchange rate will differ.
- Prices are what hospitals report, not quotes. Always ask the hospital for a written estimate.