How much does IVF cost?

“How much will IVF cost me?” It can be frustrating not to get a straight answer to such a simple question. It’s no secret that IVF treatment is expensive (our report revealing the true cost of IVF in the UK is proof of that). But how expensive? 

We’ll take you through some key numbers, plus a couple of factors that could impact the cost of your treatment.

The cost of IVF in 3 of the UK’s major cities

At Gaia, we fix the cost of treatment at patients’ chosen clinics in the UK, so we can offer IVF insurance. Based on our data, we know how much a <z tooltip="At Gaia, we define one fresh round of IVF as one stimulation, fertilisation, and one fresh transfer of an embryo. We also include the cost of medication.">fresh round of IVF treatment</z> typically costs in three of the UK’s major cities, London, Birmingham and Manchester:

• In London, a fresh round of IVF treatment typically costs between £6,680 and £8,950
• In Birmingham, a fresh round of IVF treatment typically costs between £4,850 and £6,610
• In Manchester, a fresh round of IVF treatment typically costs between  £3,750 and £6,610

Data last updated: November 2022. Costs can vary, depending on the clinic – and will likely increase over time.

To really understand how much IVF might cost you, it’s also important to understand why costs might vary. Here are two things that impact how much you could pay for your private IVF treatment.

2 things that impact the cost of IVF treatment   

IVF treatment types 

There are several different types of IVF treatment. Depending on what kind of treatment you need, you will likely incur extra costs:

• +£0 extra on average for IVF – typically for heterosexual couples
• +£1,100 extra on average for IVF + ICSI – for heterosexual couples who also want to have the most common and successful treatment for male infertility
• + £1,000 extra on average for Sperm Donor IVF – for same-sex couples, single parents or for heterosexual couples who choose to use donor sperm
• + £2,800 extra on average for Egg Donor IVF – for same-sex couples, single parents or for heterosexual couples who choose to use donor eggs

Extra costs for the “Egg and/or Sperm Donor IVF” treatment also include admin, transport and registration fees from the chosen donor bank. Egg Donor IVF is an entirely different process – and not all clinics offer it.

Hidden costs in clinics’ treatment packages 

There are essential treatments and procedures that you’ll need to complete your IVF treatment. But fertility clinics don’t always include all of them in their package pricing. 

This is why you’ll see lots of fertility clinics list their IVF treatment cost at £3,000, but in reality what you end up spending is closer to £6,000.

What might be missing from your clinic’s IVF package?

When researching clinics and their costs, make sure to check what the clinic includes in their package price and what you might have to pay for separately.

Here’s a list of treatments and procedures that could be missing at each stage of a fresh IVF cycle, plus how much more each will cost on top of your ‘package’ deal. 

1. Initial tests and consultation

• + £250 - £800 for pre-treatment tests and scans
• + £250 - £500 for viral screening 
• + £150 - £300 for initial consultation

2. Stimulation phase

• + £60 - £1,200 for monitoring blood tests
• + £150 for monitoring scans 
• + £900 - £2,000 for medication

3. Egg collection

• + £150 - £350 for sedation

4. Embryology

• + £300 - £800 for blastocyst culture

5. Embryo transfer

• + £400 - £800 for medication 
• + £300 - £1,000 for embryo freezing and storage

6. Pregnancy test

• + £100 - £200 for pregnancy blood test
• +£150 - £250 for pregnancy scan

About medication costs…

As you can see, you’ll need to take medication at different points during your IVF process. You take medication to stimulate your follicle growth and during embryo transfer. Because of this, IVF medication costs can range between £500 and £3,500 for any IVF round. 

The price of your medication depends on the protocol, type of medication and the clinic you choose. For that reason, most clinics don’t include medication costs in their base packages.

“Thanks to Gaia we still have over 70% of our savings in our IVF pot” – Lizzy, Gaia Member

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