Medical Imaging in China: MRI, CT & PET-CT Cost Compared (2026)
Partner Hospitals · English Reports in 1–3 Weeks
A CT scan in China starts at $100 and an MRI at $200 — well below typical US or UK self-pay prices (see the comparison below) — and a whole-body PET-CT is $1,299, with no GP referral letter needed for most scans. SinoCareLink, a Hong Kong-based medical care coordination service, books your scan and delivers an English report.
Medical imaging cost in China — 2026 prices
Self-pay, transparent pricing at our partner hospitals. Each scan can be booked on its own; MRI, CT, coronary CTA and mammography can also be added to a full health checkup.
| Scan | What it's for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CT Scan | Cross-sectional imaging of chest, abdomen, or a single region | $100 → |
| Mammography | Breast cancer screening / dense-tissue imaging | $100 → |
| MRI Scan | Soft tissue, brain, spine, joints — no radiation | $200 → |
| Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) | Non-invasive look at the heart's arteries | $300 → |
| Brain PET-CT | Neurological & early dementia evaluation | $699 → |
| Brain + Heart PET-CT | Combined brain and cardiac metabolic imaging | $999 → |
| Whole-Body PET-CT | Whole-body metabolic imaging for cancer staging & follow-up — head to toe per the Shenzhen hospital's catalogue | $1,299 → |
What the price includes
The scan itself
Imaging at the partner facility, on the scanner that suits your study.
Radiologist report
A written read by a hospital radiologist, provided to you in English.
Your report, to share
A translated radiology report for your doctor back home; if you also need your images (DICOM), tell us when you book.
English coordination
Booking in English and a translated radiology report. Whole-body PET-CT includes an English-speaking companion on the day; for other scans a companion is not included and can be added (US$50 per half day with a checkup package, US$100 on its own).
Imaging technology in China — the wider picture
Hospital imaging departments in China run many of the global brands used in the US and UK — and, increasingly, Chinese-built systems that are setting world firsts. What follows describes the state of imaging technology in China generally; the specific scanner used for your study depends on the hospital and on what is being looked for.
Imported and domestic, side by side
Chinese-made scanners passed the international brands in overall CT market share for the first time in 2025 — but in the high-slice tier a Grade 3A hospital buys, imported systems still hold the majority (domestic share 43%).1 In practice a hospital department often runs both, and your study goes on whichever machine suits it.
Cardiac CT without the breath-hold
A wide-detector CT built in northeast China images the heart in 0.235 seconds — inside a single heartbeat — and its makers state the patient no longer has to hold their breath, which raises the success rate and comfort of the scan.2 That matters if you are older, anxious, or being coached in a language you do not speak.
Departments built for volume
The 16 cm, 512-slice scanner at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University is reported to run 400+ patients a day, contrast and spectral studies included.3
Newest generation, already in clinical use
Two systems that are not yet routine anywhere else are in Chinese hospitals now: an 8 cm photon-counting CT approved in August 2025,4 and the first phased-array CT, in clinical trials at a Shanghai teaching hospital since August 2025, reported by its developer at 0.165 mm spatial resolution with more than 50% less radiation dose.5
The highest-field whole-body MRI cleared anywhere is Chinese-built
Until recently 3T was the ceiling for whole-body MRI. In May 2024 the US FDA cleared a 5T whole-body system from a Shanghai manufacturer — the first ultra-high-field scanner cleared for whole-body use, and the first of any field strength with eight-channel whole-body multi-transmit, which is what makes image uniformity and RF safety workable at that field strength.6 Most Grade 3A departments still run 1.5T and 3T for day-to-day work; the point is that the frontier of the technology is now being set here, not only imported.
Total-body PET-CT: the whole body in one bed position
A conventional PET-CT images you in six or seven overlapping passes. A total-body scanner built in Shanghai has a 194 cm axial field of view — long enough to cover the entire adult body in a single acquisition for more than 99% of people. Peer-reviewed testing puts its sensitivity at 176 kcps/MBq, the highest of any clinical PET scanner, and roughly 40× the effective count rate of a conventional system.7 More signal captured per unit of tracer is what makes shorter scans and lower injected doses possible.
Sources. 1. Reported 2025 China CT market share, published June 2026. 2. Chinese state media on the 0.235-second wide-detector CT; NMPA approval October 2024. 3. Manufacturer and trade-press reporting on the NeuViz Epoch installation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. 4. Neusoft Medical NeuViz P10 photon-counting CT, NMPA approval August 2025. 5. Phased-array CT at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, August 2025. 6. United Imaging uMR Jupiter 5T; FDA 510(k) clearance announced 1 May 2024. 7. Axial field of view, NEMA NU 2-2018 sensitivity and relative count-rate figures for the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT from the performance evaluation published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (2021;62:861); FDA clearance January 2019. Items 6 and 7 are independently verifiable regulatory and peer-reviewed sources; the remaining figures are as reported by the manufacturers, the hospitals and Chinese state media — SinoCareLink does not manufacture imaging equipment and has not independently verified them. Which scanner is used depends on the hospital and on the study your doctor orders.
China vs. the US, UK & Australia — what scans really cost
Typical published 2026 self-pay prices. China figures are SinoCareLink's transparent prices; other countries are market averages.
| Scan | China (SinoCareLink) | United States | UK / Australia | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI (single region) | $200 | $1,000 – $3,000 | $600 – $1,500 | up to 90% |
| CT scan | $100 | $500 – $3,000 | $400 – $1,000 | up to 95% |
| Whole-body PET-CT | $1,299 | from about $1,300 (cash, independent centres) | $2,500 – $4,000 | up to 65% (vs UK / AU) |
| Coronary CTA | $300 | $1,000 – $2,000 | $700 – $1,200 | up to 90% |
How it works
The scan date depends on hospital availability; the English report follows in 1–3 weeks.
Tell us what you need
Share your doctor's request, or your symptoms if you don't have one yet. We confirm what the hospital can book, the price, and whether contrast is needed — which scan you need is your doctor's decision.
We book your slot
Appointment scheduled at a partner hospital, subject to hospital availability; a specific date can't be guaranteed.
Scan day
You check in at the hospital with the booking details we send you. If your booking includes a companion (whole-body PET-CT) or you add one, they meet you there, handle registration and stay with you through the scan.
Report + images
You receive the radiologist's report in English; tell us when you book if you also need a copy of your images (DICOM).
Medical imaging in China — FAQ
How much does an MRI cost in China?
A single-region MRI scan costs about $200 at SinoCareLink's partner hospital — roughly 80–90% less than the $1,000–$3,000 typically charged in the United States.
How much is a whole-body PET-CT scan?
A whole-body PET-CT for cancer staging or follow-up is $1,299 (Shenzhen; head to toe per the hospital's catalogue). Brain PET-CT is $699 and a combined brain + heart PET-CT is $999.
PET-CT or PET/MRI — which scan applies to me?
They cover different ground; the choice is your treating physician's.
PET-CT is a whole-body study — by international convention skull base to mid-thigh (formally "torso" imaging), and head to toe at hospitals whose protocol covers the limbs, as the Shenzhen hospital's examination catalogue does. The chest is inside its field of view either way, so small lung nodules are covered. Radiation dose is higher than PET/MRI. Most metal implants are not a barrier.
PET/MRI resolves soft tissue in finer detail — pelvis, rectum, liver, peritoneum — at a lower radiation dose, which matters when repeat scans are expected. Small lung nodules sit outside its strength, so a thin-slice chest CT is normally added alongside. Most metal implants rule it out.
A pelvic MRI is regional. It looks at one area and does not substitute for a whole-body scan.
Both PET studies use an ¹⁸F-FDG tracer and need blood glucose under control on the day.
Booking and price. PET-CT is listed and bookable: brain from US$699, brain + heart from US$999, whole-body from US$1,299 (Shanghai US$1,499). PET/MRI is not a listed package — availability and price are confirmed case by case, so ask us for a quote.
Reports. Your English report follows after physician review in 1–3 weeks.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
For most scans, no. As a self-pay international patient you can book directly. If a procedure clinically requires a referral or contrast agent, your coordinator arranges it in advance.
Will I get a report I can use back home?
Yes. You receive a written radiologist's report in English that your own doctor can read; if you also need a copy of your images (DICOM), tell us when you book.
Can I add imaging to a health checkup?
Yes. MRI, CT and coronary CTA can be added to a full body health checkup in the same visit; PET-CT is booked when a physician has recommended it.
How do I book a scan?
Send your request through our contact page. We confirm the scan, price, and earliest available date, and handle the booking and your report in English.
Keep reading
Need a scan in China?
Tell us what you need and we'll confirm the right scan, the price, and the earliest date — with an English report at the end.
Talk to a Care CoordinatorSinoCareLink is a medical care coordination service and is not a healthcare provider. All scans and radiology reports are performed by independent, licensed professionals at a partner hospital in China. Prices are accurate as of 2026 and may vary with individual clinical needs; comparison figures for other countries are typical published market averages for reference only and do not constitute medical or financial advice.