The price of a kidney can vary widely depending on the context:
- For a legal kidney transplant surgery, the cost in 2025 varies by country and hospital:
- In the United States, the total cost of a kidney transplant can be around $446,800 including pre- and post-transplant care.
- In Turkey, a kidney transplant typically costs between $17,000 and $20,000, which is much lower than in the US or Europe.
- In India, prices start from about $16,000.
- Other countries have varying prices, generally ranging from $13,000 to $35,000 in various medical centers worldwide.
- On the illegal black market, the price of a kidney can range from approximately $50,000 to $120,000, but these transactions are dangerous, unethical, and illegal. Vendors typically get much less than buyers pay because intermediaries take a large cut.
- For living kidney donors, medical expenses related to the donation process are usually covered by insurance or assistance programs, so donors should ideally not incur direct costs.
To summarize, a kidney transplant costs tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars medically and surgically in legitimate medical settings, while black market prices can be higher but accompanied by high risks and legal consequences.
