U.S. Ranked Most Expensive Country for Vision Care, Study Finds

The United States is the most expensive country for vision care globally, with total costs reaching $24,200 for exams, cataract surgery, and LASIK.

A study by Overnight Glasses ranked 25 countries based on eye care affordability, combining costs for routine eye exams, cataract surgery, LASIK, and SMILE surgery into a “Vision Care Affordability Score” from 1 to 100.

Cataract and LASIK surgeries were each weighted at 40% due to their similar global frequency, with eye exams making up the remaining 20%.

Canada ranked second, driven by the highest cataract surgery costs at $11,000, while the United Kingdom placed third, offering affordable eye exams but holding the world’s highest LASIK prices.

Australia and Singapore rounded out the top five, with high cataract surgery and exam costs contributing to overall vision care expenses of $22,649 and $19,685, respectively.