Millions of people travel abroad for treatment each year, and the most popular destinations are in Asia, Europe and Latin America. This guide compares ten leading destinations on reported patient numbers, typical prices and known strengths. No country is best for every treatment, and each one has trade-offs.
Quick answers
- Lowest prices in the 2021 dataset: India for heart bypass and knee replacement, Costa Rica for dental implants.
- Largest reported patient numbers (not directly comparable): Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye, Mexico and South Korea each report over a million patients or visits in their latest figures.
- Highest-rated by reputation: Singapore placed second in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21, and it ranked first for quality of facilities and services
How to read this list
The Medical Tourism Index ranks American perceptions of 46 destinations across attractiveness, safety and quality of care. It is not a count of patients or a price comparison, so a destination can rank low in the index and still treat huge numbers of patients. The countries below are in alphabetical order, and the patient numbers come from each country’s own agencies, which count visits, patients or travellers differently.
Price comparison (USD, 2021 listings)
MedicalTourism.com published these typical prices, all quoted from 2021.
| Country | Heart bypass | Knee replacement | Dental implant | IVF cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | $27,000 | $12,500 | $800 | not listed |
| India | $7,900 | $6,600 | $900 | $2,500 |
| Israel | $28,000 | $25,000 | $1,200 | $5,500 |
| Malaysia | $12,100 | $7,700 | $1,500 | $6,900 |
| Mexico | $27,000 | $12,900 | $900 | $5,000 |
| Singapore | $17,200 | $16,000 | $2,700 | $14,900 |
| South Korea | $26,000 | $17,500 | $1,350 | $7,900 |
| Thailand | $15,000 | $14,000 | $1,720 | $4,100 |
| Türkiye | $13,900 | $10,400 | $1,100 | $5,200 |
| USA (reference) | $123,000 | $35,000 | $2,500 | $12,400 |
These are 2021 figures. The UAE isn’t in this dataset. Real quotes depend on the hospital, the surgeon, the city and your case, so use the table to compare countries and ask for a written quote.
1. Costa Rica
- Reputation: It placed seventh in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21.
- Prices: the lowest dental implant price in the dataset ($800). Knee replacement is about 64% below the US figure, but heart bypass ($27,000) is far above India or Türkiye.
- Known for: dental work and elective procedures for North American patients.
- Watch out: I found no comparable official patient count, so check each provider’s accreditation yourself.
2. India
- Patients: 507,244 foreign medical arrivals in 2025, and 10th place among 46 destinations in the Medical Tourism Index. Bangladesh alone sent 325,127.
- Prices: the lowest in this dataset for bypass ($7,900), knee ($6,600) and IVF ($2,500).
- Accreditation: 4,650 NABH-accredited hospitals at the end of 2024, and 27 JCI-accredited hospitals across nine cities as of 2022.
- Visa: the e-medical visa is open to nationals of 172 countries.
- Watch out: arrivals have fallen from about 6.5 lakh in 2023, and quality varies by hospital.
3. Israel
- Reputation: The index ranked it eighth, citing flows of fertility and IVF patients.
- Prices: IVF at $5,500 is well below the US, but heart bypass ($28,000), knee ($25,000) and hip replacement ($36,000, against $40,364 in the US) are not budget prices.
- Watch out: it suits specialised or fertility care more than cost-driven surgery.
4. Malaysia
- Patients: 1.6 million healthcare travellers in 2024, generating RM2.72 billion in revenue, up 21% on the year before. About half come from Indonesia.
- Prices: knee replacement at $7,700 is close to India’s, and bypass at $12,100 is among the lowest.
- Accreditation: hospitals hold accreditations from bodies such as JCI and the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health.
- Known for: gastroenterology, gynaecology, orthopaedics, oncology, ENT and cardiology.
- Watch out: most patients are regional, so check how much English-language support a specific hospital offers.
5. Mexico
- Patients: Reports citing El Financiero put arrivals near 1.4 million in 2024, mostly from the US and Canada. Treat this as an estimate, because counts can include same-day visitors crossing the border.
- Prices: a dental implant is about $900 against $2,500 in the US. Heart bypass ($27,000) is much higher than in Asia.
- Known for: dentistry first, then bariatric surgery.
- Watch out: international accreditation coverage is limited, and many providers are small clinics, so verify each clinic.
6. Singapore
- Reputation: second overall in the Medical Tourism Index, and first for quality of facilities and services.
- Prices: bypass ($17,200) and knee ($16,000) are mid-range, while IVF ($14,900) and dental implants ($2,700) are above the US figures.
- Watch out: people choose Singapore for quality and complex care, not for savings.
7. South Korea
- Patients: more than 1.17 million foreign patients in 2024, almost double the 605,768 of 2023. Dermatology made up 56.6% of visits. Japanese patients were 37.7% of the total, Chinese 22.3% and Americans 8.7%.
- Prices: bypass at $26,000 and knee at $17,500 are mid-to-high.
- Watch out: Seoul accounts for over 85% of foreign patients, and the boom is largely in skin and cosmetic care.
8. Thailand
- Patients: one bank research unit expected about 3.07 million foreign patient visits in 2024, a figure that includes expatriates living in Thailand. That makes it incomparable with other countries’ numbers.
- Prices: angioplasty at $4,200 is the lowest in the dataset, and IVF at $4,100 is second only to India.
- Accreditation: Thailand has more JCI-accredited hospitals than any other Asian country.
- Watch out: hip replacement ($17,000) is higher than in India, Malaysia or Türkiye.
9. Türkiye
- Patients: 1,398,580 international patients in 2025 and $3.022 billion in revenue. The health minister has cited over 3 million foreign patients a year, so definitions clearly differ.
- Prices: bypass at $13,900 and knee at $10,400.
- Known for: cosmetic surgery, hair transplants, dentistry, eye care, orthopaedics, cardiology, oncology, IVF and bariatric surgery.
- Rules: hospitals must hold an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate from the Ministry of Health. Officials advise using only authorised providers and agencies, written contracts, and avoiding unregistered intermediaries who work through social media. itodailysabah
10. United Arab Emirates
- Reputation: The Medical Tourism Index 2020-21 ranked Dubai sixth and Abu Dhabi ninth globally. It also named Dubai the top medical destination in the Arab region.
- Watch out: I found no comparable price dataset, so rely on written, itemised quotes from each hospital.
Which country suits which treatment?
Price only, since this data doesn’t include success rates:
- Dental implants: Costa Rica, India and Mexico were cheapest in the dataset.
- Heart bypass: India, Malaysia and Türkiye.
- Knee replacement: India, Malaysia and Türkiye.
- IVF: India, Thailand and Mexico, though outcomes differ and aren’t in this data.
- Dermatology and cosmetic care: South Korea and Türkiye report the largest flows.
What to check before choosing any country
- Verify accreditation on the accreditor’s own website (JCI, or the national body such as NABH in India).
- Check the specialist’s qualifications and how often they perform your procedure.
- Get an itemised written quote.
- Ask how complications are handled and who pays.
- Plan follow-up care at home.
- Check visa and insurance rules on official government sites.
- Talk to your own doctor first. See our Patient Safety guide.
Limits of this guide
- Patient numbers count different things in each country, so don’t rank countries by them.
- Prices are 2021 listings, and costs have moved since.
- The Medical Tourism Index reflects American perceptions, not your country’s patients.
- I found no comparable patient figures for Costa Rica, Israel, Singapore or the UAE.
FAQ
Which country is cheapest for medical tourism?
It depends on the treatment. In the 2021 dataset, India was cheapest for heart bypass and knee replacement, Costa Rica for dental implants, and Thailand for angioplasty.
Which country has the most medical tourists?
No one can say for certain, because countries count patients, visits and travellers differently. Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye, Mexico and South Korea all report over a million.
Is India in the top 10 for medical tourism?
Yes. It ranked 10th of 46 in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21.
Is Türkiye safe for medical tourism?
Many hospitals are authorised, but officials warn about unregistered intermediaries. Use an authorised provider and a written contract.
Is Singapore cheaper than Western countries?
Not always. Its IVF and dental implant prices were above the US figures in the 2021 data.
How accurate are these prices?
They are 2021 listings. Always get a current, written quote.
Where should I start?
Start with the Patient Safety checklist, then compare costs by treatment.
Sources: Press Information Bureau (India, 2026); Türkiye health ministry figures (2025); Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare and KHIDI (2024); Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (2024); Medical Tourism Index 2020-21; MedicalTourism.com price comparison (2021). Last updated: October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This article is general information, not medical advice. Consult a qualified doctor before deciding on treatment abroad.
About the author: Priya is a nurse and pharmacist (B.Sc. Nursing, D.Pharm) who shares patient-safety-focused information about medical travel on MediGlobe.