7 Best Countries for Cheap Healthcare — and How Much It Costs To Live There
Americans thinking about moving abroad are likely to spend less money on healthcare no matter where they end up. The United States ranks as the most expensive country in the world for healthcare, according to a new analysis from Outcomes Rocket, a healthcare marketing company.
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Below are details from the study about the cost of healthcare in America, as well as the seven best countries for cheap healthcare, based on the Outcomes Rocket analysis.
Also see four ways Mark Cuban is lowering healthcare costs.
Outcomes Rocket estimated that Americans face an average annual healthcare expenditure of $12,555 per person. That's well above Switzerland, which ranks as the second-most-expensive country at an average of $8,049. The cheapest country surveyed, Mexico, has an average healthcare expenditure of $1,181 a year.
Data from the American Medical Association found that U.S. health spending saw one of the highest growth rates in two decades in 2023, and, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare spending growth outpaced GDP growth.
But while you're just about guaranteed to find lower healthcare costs outside of the U.S., you're not guaranteed to get better healthcare. As part of its research, Outcomes Rocket analyzed 167 countries and then identified and ranked the best ones for U.S. expats in terms of both cost and quality of healthcare.
Here are the best countries for cheap healthcare from the study, as well as how much it costs to live in each, per Numbeo. Each of the countries had to rank in the top 15 for healthcare affordability. In terms of overall healthcare score, the scores ranged from a high of 80.2 (Estonia) to a low of 10.0 (Lesotho).
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Overall healthcare score: 80.2 (out of 100)
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 10
Monthly cost of living: $1,007.90 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 65.39
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 15
Monthly cost of living: $770.70 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 63.33
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 4
Monthly cost of living: $674.30 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 60.06
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 6
Monthly cost of living: $678.60 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 58.54
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 7
Monthly cost of living: $720.00 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 58.43
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 3
Monthly cost of living: $902.00 per person (excluding rent)
Overall healthcare score: 57.99
Healthcare affordability ranking: No. 12
Monthly cost of living: $912.50 per person (excluding rent)
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