Average cost to freeze your eggs

Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, costs $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle in the United States. This total includes the clinical procedure itself, fertility medications, and first-year storage fees. However, the final price varies widely depending on your clinic, geographic location, how many cycles you need, and your individual medical requirements.

Cost component	Average cost
Total cost per cycle (all-inclusive)	$10,000 – $20,000
Clinical procedure only (no medications)	$6,000 – $10,000
Fertility medications	$3,000 – $7,000
Annual storage fees	$500 – $1,500
Initial consultation and testing	$250 – $600
Future thaw and fertilization (IVF)	$5,000 – $10,000

Many clinics advertise egg freezing packages between $10,000 and $15,000, but these prices don't always include medications, pre-cycle testing, or long-term storage. Understanding exactly what's included in a quoted price is critical before committing to a clinic or cycle.

Cost breakdown by step

Egg freezing involves several distinct steps, and each one carries its own cost. Breaking the process down helps you build a realistic budget and identify where hidden expenses may arise.

Step	What's involved	Estimated cost
Initial consultation	Meeting with a reproductive endocrinologist, reviewing medical history, developing a fertility plan	$250 – $600
Pre-cycle testing	Blood work, hormone panels (AMH, FSH), ultrasound, infectious disease screening	$300 – $1,000
Fertility medications	Injectable hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs over 10 to 14 days	$3,000 – $7,000
Cycle monitoring	Frequent blood draws and ultrasounds to track follicle development and adjust medication dosages	$1,000 – $2,500
Egg retrieval procedure	Brief outpatient surgery performed under sedation to collect mature eggs from the ovaries	$3,000 – $5,000
Anesthesia	IV sedation administered during egg retrieval	$500 – $1,500
Cryopreservation	An embryologist evaluates, records, and vitrifies (flash-freezes) mature eggs	$500 – $1,500
First-year storage	Secure storage in liquid nitrogen tanks at the clinic or off-site facility	Often included or $500 – $1,000

Initial consultation and testing

Your egg freezing journey begins with a consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist. This visit typically costs $250 to $600 and includes a review of your medical history, a physical exam, and an initial fertility assessment.

Pre-cycle testing follows and may cost an additional $300 to $1,000. Tests commonly include an anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) blood test, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, an antral follicle count via transvaginal ultrasound, and infectious disease screening. These results help your doctor determine your ovarian reserve and design a personalized medication protocol.

Fertility medications

Medications are often the most variable cost in an egg freezing cycle. Most clinics do not include them in their base package price. Expect to pay $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the type of medications prescribed, the dosage your body requires, and the pharmacy you use.

The medications are injectable gonadotropins that stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs in a single cycle. Higher dosages are sometimes necessary for patients with lower ovarian reserve, which can push costs toward the upper end of the range. Specialty pharmacies, discount programs, and manufacturer coupons can help reduce this expense.

Cycle monitoring

During the 10- to 14-day stimulation period, you'll visit the clinic multiple times for blood draws and ultrasounds. These monitoring appointments cost $1,000 to $2,500 and are essential for tracking how your follicles are developing and adjusting medication in real time.

Some clinics bundle monitoring into their egg freezing package, while others bill each appointment separately. Clarify this before you begin treatment.

Egg retrieval

The egg retrieval itself is a short outpatient procedure, usually lasting 15 to 30 minutes. The retrieval costs $3,000 to $5,000, and anesthesia adds another $500 to $1,500. A specialist uses ultrasound-guided needle aspiration to collect eggs from the ovarian follicles while you're sedated.

Cryopreservation and storage

After retrieval, an embryologist evaluates the collected eggs for maturity, then vitrifies (flash-freezes) the viable ones. Cryopreservation costs $500 to $1,500. Many clinics include the first year of storage in their package price, but annual storage fees after that typically run $500 to $1,500 per year.

If you plan to store eggs for five to ten years or longer, those annual fees add up significantly. Over a decade, storage alone could cost $5,000 to $15,000.

Hidden and additional costs

The quoted package price at most clinics covers the essentials, but several expenses can catch patients off guard. Being aware of these costs upfront helps you create a realistic budget.

Potential additional cost	Estimated price
Additional egg freezing cycles	$10,000 – $20,000 per cycle
Cancelled cycle (still incurs partial costs)	$1,000 – $5,000
Extended annual storage (per year)	$500 – $1,500
Future thawing, fertilization, and embryo transfer	$5,000 – $10,000
Genetic testing of embryos (PGT-A)	$3,000 – $6,000
Infectious disease screening	$200 – $500

Multiple cycles

Many women need more than one egg freezing cycle to bank enough eggs for a reasonable chance of future pregnancy. Reproductive endocrinologists generally recommend freezing 10 to 20 mature eggs to give yourself a strong probability of at least one live birth, though the ideal number depends on your age.

If a single cycle yields only 5 to 8 eggs, you may decide to do a second or even third cycle. Each additional cycle costs another $10,000 to $20,000, making the total investment substantially higher than a single round.

Cancelled cycles

Sometimes a cycle is cancelled before the egg retrieval. This can happen if your ovaries respond poorly to medication or if you develop too many follicles, raising the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Even a cancelled cycle can cost $1,000 to $5,000 because you've already paid for medications, monitoring visits, and lab work.

Future use costs

Freezing eggs is only the first step. When you're ready to use them, you'll need IVF, which involves thawing the eggs, fertilizing them with sperm, and transferring a resulting embryo to your uterus. This process adds $5,000 to $10,000 or more on top of what you've already spent.

If you choose preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) to screen embryos for chromosomal abnormalities, expect to pay an additional $3,000 to $6,000.

Cost by age

Age is the single most important factor influencing both the cost and success of egg freezing. Younger patients typically produce more eggs per cycle, need fewer cycles, and have higher-quality eggs that result in better pregnancy rates later.

Age at freezing	Recommended number of eggs	Typical cycles needed	Estimated total cost
Under 35	10 – 15 eggs	1 – 2	$10,000 – $30,000
35 – 37	15 – 20 eggs	2 – 3	$20,000 – $45,000
38 – 40	20 – 30 eggs	3 – 4	$30,000 – $60,000
Over 40	30+ eggs	4+	$40,000 – $80,000+

Women under 35 often achieve a sufficient egg yield in one or two cycles, keeping costs at the lower end of the spectrum. After 35, ovarian reserve begins to decline more rapidly, meaning fewer eggs are retrieved per cycle and more cycles are needed to reach the recommended total.

After 40, both egg quantity and quality drop significantly. More cycles are required, medication dosages may be higher, and the likelihood of using those eggs successfully decreases. This is why many fertility specialists recommend freezing eggs before age 35 if possible.

Cost by location

Where you freeze your eggs significantly affects the price. Clinics in major metropolitan areas with higher costs of living tend to charge more, while smaller cities and certain regions offer lower rates.

Location	Average cost per cycle (including medications)
New York City	$12,000 – $20,000
Los Angeles	$11,000 – $18,000
San Francisco	$12,000 – $20,000
Chicago	$10,000 – $16,000
Dallas / Houston	$9,000 – $15,000
Atlanta	$9,000 – $14,000
Midwest / South (smaller cities)	$8,000 – $13,000

Coastal cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are among the most expensive places to freeze your eggs. The Southeast and Midwest generally offer more affordable pricing. However, a lower price doesn't always mean better care. Evaluate each clinic's success rates, experience, lab technology, and patient reviews alongside the price.

Some patients travel to lower-cost clinics in other states or even internationally to save money. If you consider this approach, factor in travel expenses, lodging, and the inconvenience of multiple monitoring visits far from home.

Does insurance cover egg freezing?

Insurance coverage for egg freezing is limited but improving. Whether your plan covers any portion of the cost depends on your employer, your state, the reason for freezing, and the type of insurance you carry.

Coverage scenario	What's typically covered
Medically necessary (cancer, autoimmune disease)	Often covered partially or fully by insurance in mandate states
Elective (social or age-related)	Rarely covered by insurance; some employers offer fertility benefits
Employer-sponsored fertility benefits	Varies; some large companies cover $20,000 to $40,000 in fertility benefits
State-mandated fertility coverage	Currently 20+ states have some form of fertility insurance mandate

Medical vs. elective egg freezing

If your doctor recommends egg freezing before cancer treatment, radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery that could damage your fertility, insurance is more likely to cover the procedure. Many states with fertility insurance mandates specifically include medical fertility preservation.

Elective egg freezing, sometimes called "social" egg freezing, is done for non-medical reasons such as delaying motherhood for career or personal goals. Most insurance plans do not cover this. However, the landscape is shifting as more employers add fertility benefits to their compensation packages.

Employer-sponsored fertility benefits

A growing number of large employers now offer fertility benefits that cover some or all of the cost of egg freezing. Companies like Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, and many others provide $20,000 to $40,000 or more in lifetime fertility benefits. Check with your HR department to see if your employer offers this coverage.

Even when employers cover the procedure itself, they may not cover medications, long-term storage, or future IVF costs. Read the fine print carefully.

Financing and payment options

The upfront cost of egg freezing is a significant financial commitment, but several financing options can make it more manageable.

Financing option	Details
Fertility-specific loans	Lenders like Prosper Healthcare Lending, CapexMD, and Future Family offer fertility loans with fixed monthly payments
Clinic payment plans	Many clinics offer in-house installment plans, sometimes interest-free for 6 to 12 months
Health savings account (HSA) / Flexible spending account (FSA)	Pre-tax dollars can be used for eligible medical expenses, including egg freezing
Credit cards	Some patients use 0% APR introductory offers; watch for high interest after the promotional period
Fertility grants and scholarships	Organizations like the Livestrong Foundation and Baby Quest Foundation offer grants for fertility preservation

Using HSA and FSA funds

If you have a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), you can use pre-tax dollars to cover egg freezing costs. This effectively saves you 20% to 35% depending on your tax bracket. The IRS considers egg freezing a qualified medical expense, so medications, procedures, and related lab work are all eligible.

Keep in mind that FSAs typically have a "use it or lose it" provision, so you'll need to plan your contributions carefully around your treatment timeline.

Fertility loans and payment plans

Several companies specialize in fertility financing and offer loans with fixed interest rates, flexible terms, and monthly payments. Some clinics partner directly with these lenders to streamline the application process. Interest rates vary from 5% to 15% depending on your credit score and loan term.

Many fertility clinics also offer their own in-house payment plans. Some are interest-free if you pay within a set period, while others charge interest over longer terms. Always ask about available financing before your first appointment.

How to reduce egg freezing costs

While egg freezing is inherently expensive, several strategies can help lower your overall spending.

• Compare clinic pricing: Get quotes from at least three clinics. Ask for itemized breakdowns so you can compare apples to apples.
• Check for multi-cycle discounts: Some clinics offer reduced pricing if you commit to two or more cycles upfront.
• Shop for medications: Fertility medication prices vary between pharmacies. Specialty pharmacies, manufacturer discount programs, and compassionate care programs can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
• Freeze earlier: Younger patients typically need fewer cycles and lower medication dosages, resulting in lower total costs.
• Maximize HSA/FSA contributions: Use pre-tax dollars to effectively reduce costs by 20% to 35%.
• Ask about shared or bundled programs: Some clinics offer cost-sharing or refund programs that can reduce financial risk.
• Look into clinical trials: Research studies sometimes cover part or all of the cost of egg freezing for eligible participants.
• Explore employer benefits: Even if your employer doesn't currently offer fertility benefits, it's worth asking. More companies are adding these each year.

Is egg freezing worth the cost?

Whether egg freezing is worth the investment depends on your personal goals, age, reproductive health, and financial situation. For many women, it provides peace of mind and flexibility by preserving younger, higher-quality eggs for future use.

From a financial perspective, it helps to compare the cost of egg freezing now to the potential cost of fertility treatments later. IVF using fresh eggs at age 40 or older often requires multiple cycles costing $15,000 to $25,000 each, with lower success rates. Using eggs frozen at a younger age can improve the odds of success and potentially reduce the total number of IVF cycles needed.

There are no guarantees. Not every frozen egg will result in a pregnancy. On average, about 75% to 85% of frozen eggs survive the thaw, and of those, only a portion will fertilize, develop into embryos, and lead to a live birth. The younger you are at the time of freezing, the better these odds become.

Frequently asked questions

How many eggs should I freeze?

Most fertility specialists recommend freezing 10 to 20 mature eggs to have a reasonable chance of achieving a future pregnancy. Women over 38 may benefit from freezing 20 to 30 or more eggs due to the natural decline in egg quality with age.

How long can eggs stay frozen?

Frozen eggs can be stored indefinitely. Vitrification technology preserves eggs in a stable state, and there is no known expiration date. Healthy pregnancies have been achieved using eggs stored for over 10 years.

Does egg freezing hurt?

The daily hormone injections can cause mild discomfort, bloating, and mood changes. The egg retrieval procedure itself is performed under sedation, so most patients feel little to no pain during the process. Recovery typically takes one to two days, with some cramping and bloating.

What's the difference between egg freezing and embryo freezing?

Egg freezing preserves unfertilized eggs, giving you flexibility to choose a sperm donor or partner later. Embryo freezing involves fertilizing the eggs with sperm before freezing, which generally has slightly higher success rates but requires you to select sperm at the time of freezing. Embryo freezing costs are similar, typically $12,000 to $17,000 per cycle.

At what age should I freeze my eggs?

Fertility specialists generally recommend freezing eggs before age 35 for the best outcomes. Egg quality and quantity begin to decline more rapidly after this age. However, women in their late 30s and early 40s can still benefit from the procedure, though they may need more cycles and should have realistic expectations about success rates.