Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

How much does a Covid test cost around the world?

How much does a Covid test cost around the world?

As the Treasury pushes for free tests to be scrapped in the UK, here’s how charges look in other countries
In Australia, a federal scheme introduced at the end of January allows pensioners and concession card holders to access up to 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months through their chemist. But the scheme got off to a difficult start, with supply issues hampering attempts to procure the tests. In January the competition regulator raised concerns that rapid antigen tests often cost between A$20 and A$30 (£15-£20) per test and sometimes more than A$70 a test through smaller retail outlets, despite wholesale costs ranging from A$3.95 to A$11.45.

In Belgium the price of an antigen self-test sold in pharmacies is around €6-€8 (£5-£7), more expensive than in neighbouring countries, such as France and the Netherlands, although they are available in Belgian supermarkets for about €3. Prices have come down and are expected to fall further: one big pharmacy chain announced this week they had begun selling tests for €1.99. While a PCR test, which costs about €41, is free for people with symptoms, or may be reimbursed by health insurance, self-tests usually have to be funded by individuals. The Belgian consumer association Test-Achats/Test Aankoop estimated this week that a family of four could spend €250 a month on Covid tests, hand sanitiser and face masks.

Self-administered tests in France cost between €4 and €5 in pharmacies and about €1.25 in supermarket multipacks. Lateral flow tests and PCR tests administered in pharmacies, laboratories and testing centres (both of which give you a result with a QR code allowing you to travel, for example) are free for all who are registered with the French healthcare system and fully vaccinated. People who are not in the system (tourists, for example) and those who are not fully vaccinated pay about €25 for a lateral flow and up to €45 for a PCR.

Germany abolished its system of free rapid coronavirus testing – used by Germans to get into venues such as theatres and football stadiums – in October. Unvaccinated people – except for pregnant women, children, or those advised against getting a vaccine on medical grounds – had to pay for the tests. The hope was that people would no longer rely on the test system as a way of avoiding getting a vaccine. However, a month later, free tests were reintroduced as authorities struggled to curb rapidly rising infection rates.

In South Africa rapid antigen tests sell for 380 ZAR (£18.50), and PCR tests double that.

Testing regimes vary across Spain’s 17 self-governing regions. In the Madrid region, the government has so far distributed 5m free antigen tests that can be picked up from pharmacies in and around the capital. In mid-January, the Spanish government capped the price of antigen tests on sale in pharmacies at €2.94. Before the cap was introduced, test kits had been selling for about €10 and were not always available.

In Thailand, antigen test kits are sold online, in convenience stores and pharmacies, with prices starting at about 50 baht (£1.13). The government has also started selling antigen tests for 35 baht (79p) at eight locations in Bangkok and online. If you want to travel to a tourist destination, you may be required to take a test before entering, and this can be more expensive. The cost of PCR tests ranges from 1,300 baht in some areas to as much as 4,500 baht.

In the US, the cost and access to rapid antigen and PCR testing varies considerably depending on where you live and what health insurance you have, if any. A rapid antigen test can cost about $15 (£11) in a pharmacy or supermarket, but since January there has been a large increase in free testing sites across the country, as well as millions of test kits for schools. PCR tests are available at private clinics, costing $100 or more, but you can also get them free from some hospitals and clinics, though access is very variable. Since 15 January, private health insurance companies have been required to cover the costs of up to eight rapid home tests. For the 28 million or so without health insurance, the Biden administration said it would buy a billion free tests, which people could request online or at local health clinics and pharmacies, though it’s unclear how many have been secured and distributed so far.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×