Doctor Consultation Cost in Lagos 2026
Doctor Consultation in Lagos costs ₦2K–₦5K at a general or public hospital and ₦10K–₦25K at a premium specialist hospital — the same procedure, up to 13× apart.
What doctor consultation costs in Lagos
A range per tier, not a single price — the real figure depends on the hospital and your case.
Public tier means the teaching and general hospitals (LUTH, LASUTH and the state general hospitals). Standard private covers the many mid-range private hospitals across the mainland and Island. Premium specialist means the top-end Island hospitals.
Prices last verified: 2026-05-07. Lagos.Cool desk survey seeded 2026-05-07; tier ranges not re-verified against a 2026 primary source Always confirm the current price with the hospital before planning around it.
What drives the price
A consultation is the purest illustration of how Lagos healthcare is priced: the medicine barely changes across tiers, but the setting does. At a general hospital you pay a small card or consultation fee and wait, often for hours, in a crowded outpatient hall. At a private clinic you pay several times more and are seen quickly in comfort. At a premium Island hospital the same fifteen minutes with a doctor costs multiples again, buying appointment scheduling, short waits, air-conditioned rooms and continuity with a named physician. What you are really buying up the tiers is time and comfort, not a different diagnosis — which is why the spread on this one procedure is so instructive about everything else on this page.
Typical duration: Outpatient — typically 15–30 minutes with the doctor, plus waiting time that varies enormously by tier.
What's included vs what's extra
The extras carry no figures here because Lagos hospitals do not publish them — ask for an itemised quote.
- • The doctor's time and examination
- • A written diagnosis and prescription
- • Referral for tests where needed
- • The clinic card or registration where applicable
- • Any laboratory tests ordered
- • Prescribed drugs (bought separately)
- • Follow-up or review consultation
- • Specialist referral fee, if you are sent on
What the spread means for your budget
The gap between what doctor consultation costs at a general hospital and at a premium specialist is roughly ₦23K — and that difference buys comfort, privacy and shorter waits rather than a different clinical outcome. For a routine, uncomplicated case the public and standard-private tiers deliver the same medicine.
So the honest question is not 'which is cheapest' but 'which tier do I actually need'. The premium tier earns its price if you value privacy, speed and a named consultant. Whichever you choose, get an itemised quote before the day, confirm what your HMO covers and at which hospitals, and budget for the extras listed above rather than the headline range alone.
Sums like this sit alongside your other major Lagos costs — see Lagos rent prices and market food prices to weigh it against the rest of the budget.