GLP-1 cost calculator
Add up the true monthly cost of a GLP-1 program including medication, membership, labs and shipping — the figure providers rarely show on their banner price.
Verified against Eli Lilly's own pricing pages. Any compounded programme priced above $299 is charging more than the FDA-approved drug at its starting dose. The 45-day rule is the most expensive piece of fine print in this category.
What this tool calculates, and the formula behind it
Every figure this tool produces uses the same formula as our editorial pages, drawn from the same dataset. There is no separate “marketing” number.
Effective monthly cost = total mandatory payments ÷ months supplied.
| Input | Why it counts |
|---|---|
| Advertised price | The starting point — and usually the most misleading number available. |
| Number of months | A 12-month plan and a month-to-month plan are not the same product. |
| Membership fee | If you cannot decline it, it is part of the price. Roughly half the market splits it out. |
| Consultation fee | Charged separately by some providers; invisible in most comparison tables. |
| Laboratory fee | Some programmes require labs and bill them; others include them. |
| Shipping | Free at some providers, billed at others. |
| Onboarding fee | A one-off charge that is amortised across the plan, not ignored. |
| Dose surcharge | The big one. A flat-rate programme and an escalating one can differ by thousands a year at maintenance. |
| Renewal price | What you pay from month two. This is the number that matters. |
| Discount / coupon | Applied only where the eligibility is stated. |
Assumptions and limitations
- Assumes you complete the plan. Early cancellation terms vary enormously and are not modelled — get them in writing before committing.
- Assumes the advertised ongoing price is accurate. Where we have not captured a price ourselves it is labelled Reported, not Verified.
- Does not model a dose change mid-plan on an escalating programme — ask the provider what you will pay at your target maintenance dose.
- Does not model insurance. If your plan covers brand Zepbound, the savings card can bring it to roughly $25/month, which beats every cash option here.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. We do not collect health information through any tool, form or search on this site.
Frequently asked questions
Are these prices verified?
Provider prices shown in our tools are captured from provider sites and major publishers and labeled with a verification status and date. Only first-party captures are marked Verified; always confirm current pricing on the provider’s own site before enrolling.
Does this tool give medical advice?
No. Our calculators and checklists are educational and help you compare cost and program features. Eligibility and treatment decisions are made by a licensed clinician.
How is effective monthly cost calculated?
Total mandatory payments for the treatment period — medication plus required membership, labs, shipping, onboarding, and dose surcharges — divided by months supplied. See our affordability methodology.
How the effective monthly cost is calculated
This calculator applies one formula: effective monthly cost equals the total of all mandatory payments for the treatment period — medication, required membership, required labs, mandatory shipping, onboarding fees, and any dose surcharges at your maintenance dose — minus valid discounts, divided by the number of months of medication supplied. Introductory or first-month promotional prices are treated separately because they do not represent your ongoing cost.
Worked example
Suppose a program advertises $99 per month for medication, charges a required $79 monthly membership, includes shipping, and holds one price across all doses on a month-to-month plan. The calculator returns $178 per month effective, $2,136 per year — not the $99 headline. Now suppose a second program advertises $145 per month on a 12-month plan with no membership and shipping included: $145 effective, $1,740 per year. The second program is $396 per year cheaper despite the higher advertised medication price, because the first program's membership adds $948 annually.
Assumptions and limitations
The calculator assumes the figures you enter are current and mandatory. It cannot know whether a fee is truly required or optional, whether a promotional rate expires, or whether a dose surcharge applies at your specific maintenance dose — you must confirm these on the provider's checkout flow and terms. It does not account for insurance, HSA/FSA tax advantages, or manufacturer savings cards, which can change your real out-of-pocket cost substantially. It is an educational budgeting aid, not medical or financial advice. Data date: July 2026.