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.