How much does a private specialist appointment cost in Colombia? 2026 prices
We measured 771 specialists in Bogota and Medellin: median first private visit COP $250,000. Table by specialty and open method.
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As of August 2026, the median price of a private first visit with a medical specialist in Bogotá and Medellín is COP $250,000, about USD $78. The middle 80% of prices runs from COP $180,000 to COP $340,000 (roughly USD $56 to USD $106). The cheapest consultation we found was COP $70,000 and the most expensive COP $470,000.
That figure is not an estimate or an opinion survey. It comes from 771 specialists who publish their fees openly, collected on 29 August 2026. The table by specialty and the full methodology are below, so anyone can repeat the exercise and check it.
How much does a consultation cost by specialty?
Each row is a private, in-person first visit in Bogotá or Medellín. The usual range column is the middle half of prices, which is the most useful reference: it drops both the outlier charging very little and the one charging far above the rest.
| Specialty | Doctors measured | Usual range (COP) | Median (COP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dermatology | 96 | $222,500 to $280,000 | $250,000 |
| Urology | 89 | $220,000 to $300,000 | $280,000 |
| Gynaecology and obstetrics | 77 | $215,000 to $280,000 | $250,000 |
| Psychiatry | 77 | $220,000 to $270,000 | $250,000 |
| Neurology | 70 | $220,000 to $300,000 | $250,000 |
| Orthopaedics and traumatology | 67 | $210,000 to $320,000 | $280,000 |
| ENT | 64 | $200,000 to $289,000 | $250,000 |
| Gastroenterology | 56 | $200,000 to $330,000 | $275,000 |
| Internal medicine | 49 | $200,000 to $300,000 | $250,000 |
| Paediatrics | 49 | $175,000 to $220,000 | $200,000 |
| Cardiology | 45 | $247,500 to $320,000 | $280,000 |
| Endocrinology | 32 | $250,000 to $310,000 | $285,000 |
| All specialties | 771 | $180,000 to $340,000 | $250,000 |
Paediatrics is the cheapest specialty in the sample, with a median of COP $200,000. Endocrinology, cardiology, orthopaedics and urology are the most expensive, all around COP $280,000. The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive specialty is about COP $85,000, considerably narrower than most people assume.
All dollar figures in this article use Colombia’s official exchange rate (TRM) for 29 August 2026, COP $3,202.79 per US dollar, published by the Superintendencia Financiera. At that rate the full range of prices we found runs from about USD $22 to USD $147.
Is Medellín more expensive than Bogotá?
Barely. The median in Medellín is COP $260,000 and in Bogotá COP $250,000: a 4% difference.
This contradicts what an earlier version of this same article claimed, and it is worth correcting with the data in hand. For years it has been repeated that Medellín charges more because of medical tourism and the reputation of its specialists. For a private first visit, that gap does not show up. In fact, in cardiology, orthopaedics and psychiatry Bogotá charges more than Medellín.
| Specialty | Medellín | Bogotá | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endocrinology | $300,000 | $260,000 | Medellín +15% |
| Gynaecology | $267,500 | $250,000 | Medellín +7% |
| Neurology | $262,500 | $250,000 | Medellín +5% |
| Dermatology | $260,000 | $250,000 | Medellín +4% |
| ENT | $260,000 | $250,000 | Medellín +4% |
| Internal medicine | $260,000 | $250,000 | Medellín +4% |
| Urology | $280,000 | $275,700 | Medellín +2% |
| Paediatrics | $200,000 | $200,000 | Equal |
| Orthopaedics | $272,000 | $280,000 | Bogotá +3% |
| Cardiology | $265,000 | $280,000 | Bogotá +6% |
| Psychiatry | $230,000 | $260,000 | Bogotá +13% |
An honest caveat about gastroenterology. In that specialty the gap came out enormous (Medellín COP $330,000 against Bogotá COP $210,000), but reviewing the data case by case we found that fifteen of the twenty-four gastroenterologists in Medellín publish exactly the same price: they belong to large practices with a single flat fee. That is not a market signal, it is a sampling artefact. So we left that specialty out of the city comparison.
Is an online consultation cheaper than an in-person one?
No. It costs practically the same. We measured 390 online consultations and their median is also COP $250,000, identical to the in-person figure. The middle 80% runs from COP $150,000 to COP $350,000.
It is the most counterintuitive result of the whole exercise. The usual expectation is that telemedicine should be cheaper because it saves on office space, reception and travel. In practice the specialist charges for their time and judgement, not for the physical room. If you are considering a virtual consultation expecting to pay less, the data says that generally will not happen.
Why do two doctors in the same specialty charge so differently?
Within the same specialty and the same city we found differences of up to four times. One dermatologist may charge COP $118,580 and another COP $415,000. The reasons behind that spread:
- Subspecialty. A general orthopaedist and a spine or hand surgeon are not competing for the same patient and do not charge the same.
- Consultation length. Twenty minutes and forty-five minutes do not cost the same, even though both appear in the listing as “consultation”.
- Location and equipment. An office inside the medical tower of a high-complexity hospital carries costs an independent practice does not.
- Seniority and reputation. Accumulated demand lets a doctor raise prices without losing their schedule.
- What is included. Some prices cover a follow-up visit at no extra cost and others do not. That difference alone accounts for tens of thousands of pesos.
What does that price include, and what does it not?
The price in the table is for the first visit. It almost never includes:
- Laboratory tests or diagnostic imaging.
- Procedures performed in the same office, such as an injection, a biopsy or cryotherapy.
- Medication.
- Follow-up visits, which usually cost 30% to 50% less, although some specialists include the first one.
Before booking, the question that saves the most money is simple: does this price include the follow-up?
Are SOAT tariffs a useful reference?
They should not be confused. The SOAT tariff manual governs what is paid for treating road traffic accident victims, and since 1 January 2026 it has been indexed to the Unidad de Valor Básico, set at COP $12,110 for 2026 by Circular Externa 047 of 2025 from Colombia’s Ministry of Health.
That manual does not set the price of a private consultation. Outside the SOAT scope it is used only as a reference in negotiations between providers and insurers. In private practice the price is agreed freely between doctor and patient. That is why a table built from prices published by the specialists themselves, like this one, is much closer to what you will actually pay.
How we measured this
We publish the full method so anyone can audit or repeat it:
- Source. Public profiles on Doctoralia Colombia, where each specialist publishes the price of their services.
- Collection date. 29 August 2026.
- Coverage. Twelve specialties in Bogotá and Medellín, the two cities that concentrate most of the demand for this search.
- Final sample. 771 specialists with a published price, out of 1,042 profiles reviewed. Medellín contributed 361 and Bogotá 410.
- What we counted. Only the private, in-person first visit, carrying the canonical label for the specialty. We discarded follow-up visits, online consultations, home visits, procedures and packages.
- One price per doctor. When a specialist publishes several consultations, we take the lowest, which corresponds to the first visit.
- “From” prices. 23% of the sample are minimum prices announced with the word “from”. We checked them separately and their median is identical to the rest (COP $250,000), so they do not skew the result.
- Statistics. We use the median rather than the mean, because the mean is distorted by extreme prices.
What this study does not cover. Only Bogotá and Medellín, so it says nothing about Cali, Barranquilla or mid-sized cities. It only measures specialists who publish their fees online, who are probably more oriented towards private patients than the profession’s average. And it is a snapshot of a single day: prices change.
This article is updated every year. The next measurement will be in August 2027.
If you are a doctor setting your fee
This table tells you what the market charges, not what you should charge. Those are different things and confusing them is expensive.
Pricing a consultation is an economics problem, not a benchmarking exercise: it depends on your cost structure, how many effective consultations fit into your week, the income you need and the demand you have built. A specialist whose schedule is full three weeks out is charging below their market, and the table will not tell them that. Another with an empty schedule at COP $350,000 has a demand problem, not a pricing problem.
I have written about that separately, from the standpoint of health economics applied to a private practice: how to build the demand that sustains a fee, and how to tell whether your current price is leaving money on the table.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private specialist appointment cost in Colombia in 2026? The median measured in August 2026 across 771 specialists in Bogotá and Medellín is COP $250,000, about USD $78, for a first visit. The middle 80% of prices sits between COP $180,000 and COP $340,000.
Which specialty is the cheapest? Paediatrics, with a median of COP $200,000. The most expensive are endocrinology (COP $285,000), followed by cardiology, orthopaedics and urology, all near COP $280,000.
Can a foreigner book a private appointment in Colombia? Yes. A private consultation is a direct agreement between patient and doctor, with no insurance authorisation or referral required. Waiting times are far shorter than through the public system.
Does a follow-up visit cost the same as the first one? Almost never. It usually costs 30% to 50% less, and some specialists include it in the price of the first consultation. It is worth asking before you book.
Where can I find specialists with reviews and availability? On El Mejor Doc you can search verified specialists across Colombia by city and specialty, with real patient reviews. It is the platform I founded precisely because this information was scattered.
