Lower back MRI cost in San Diego, CA

MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast dye. Prices below are cash prices published by 7 hospitals within 25 miles of San Diego.

Lowest published price$2,210
Typical price (median)$3,112
Highest published price$5,064
See every hospital, the map and your all-in estimate

Lowest prices near San Diego

  • UC San Diego Moores Medical Center

    San Diego · 2.2 mi · Same price at 2 other locations

    $2,210

    cash

  • Sharp Coronado Hospital

    Coronado · 2.5 mi · Same price at 1 other location

    $3,112

    cash

  • Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns

    San Diego · 5.7 mi · Same price at 2 other locations

    $3,112

    cash

  • Sharp Grossmont Hospital

    La Mesa · 9.3 mi

    $3,112

    cash

  • Palomar Medical Center Poway

    Poway · 19.2 mi

    $4,610

    cash · Hospital fee only

  • Kindred Hospital San Diego

    San Diego · 2.7 mi

    $4,857

    cash · Hospital fee only

  • Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego

    San Diego · 5.7 mi

    $5,064

    cash · Hospital fee only

How to use these prices

A cash price is what the hospital says it charges patients who pay for themselves. An insured average is what insurance plans pay on average, which is a useful guide when a hospital doesn’t list a cash price. Ask the hospital for its self-pay price before you book, and for a written Good Faith Estimate.

For your doctor’s office: these prices are for billing code CPT 72148.

Other imaging in San Diego

All prices in San Diego, CA

Lower back MRI in other cities

Lower back MRI prices in every city

These are estimates from prices hospitals publish under federal price transparency rules, from files dated Feb 2026. They are not a quote or a bill, and the hospital may charge a different amount. “Lowest” means the lowest published price we found, not a guaranteed price.

If you are uninsured or paying cash, you have the right to a written Good Faith Estimate from the provider before you schedule care, and you can dispute a bill that comes in $400 or more above it.

Your provider may bill a different code for the same visit. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. More about these prices