How much amoxicillin and other antibiotics cost without insurance

What pharmacies pay for amoxicillin

The best public price data we found comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal health agency. It runs a survey of drug prices called NADAC, short for National Average Drug Acquisition Cost. The survey records what pharmacies pay their suppliers for a drug, on average. Every number below is from the week of October 7, 2026.

That figure is the pharmacy's own cost, so it is lower than the price on your receipt. The pharmacy has to cover its own costs, so it adds a fee. Picture a store that pays a wholesale price for an item and then puts a higher price tag on the shelf.

• A 500 mg amoxicillin capsule cost pharmacies about 7.9 cents each, and a 250 mg capsule cost about 6.9 cents each.
• An 875 mg amoxicillin tablet cost pharmacies about 15.4 cents each.
• The price of liquid amoxicillin is listed per milliliter. The 125 mg per 5 mL kind cost pharmacies about 1.8 to 2.3 cents per milliliter. The 400 mg per 5 mL kind cost about 3.4 to 4.4 cents per milliliter.

To turn a per-capsule price into a rough total, multiply it by the number of capsules on your prescription. Ten capsules at 7.9 cents come to about 79 cents. Your doctor decides how much medicine you need, and your pharmacist can tell you that exact amount.

A look at other common antibiotics

You may not know yet which antibiotic you will be given. Your clinician picks the one that fits your infection, so these examples only give you a feel for the range. They come from the same NADAC survey and the same week, and they show what pharmacies paid.

• Penicillin VK tablets cost about 6.1 cents for the 250 mg tablet and about 9.8 cents for the 500 mg tablet.
• Cephalexin 500 mg capsules cost about 12 cents each.
• Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim double-strength tablets cost about 4.5 cents each.
• Ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets cost about 12.3 cents each.
• Azithromycin tablets cost about 26.6 cents for the 250 mg tablet and about 54.1 cents for the 500 mg tablet.

The form of a medicine can change the price a lot. Some doxycycline tablets with a slow-release coating cost pharmacies between about $1.57 and $5.17 each. Plain doxycycline hyclate 100 mg capsules cost about 10.5 cents. Your doctor chooses the form, and you can ask whether a lower-cost form would work for you.

Children, and adults who cannot swallow capsules, may need a liquid or a chewable tablet. Chewable amoxicillin tablets cost pharmacies about 20.8 cents for the 125 mg size and about 30.4 cents for the 250 mg size. The medicine stays inexpensive even then, and the pharmacy fee and the clinic visit usually make up more of what you pay. Ask the pharmacist to quote the exact form your clinician wrote on the prescription.

Why can one antibiotic have many prices?

Each pharmacy sets its own cash price, which is what a person pays without insurance. The NADAC number is only an average of what pharmacies paid. Then each store adds its own fee and markup. Some add very little on common generics and others add more, so two or three phone calls can save real money.

Prices also change from week to week, because CMS publishes new NADAC numbers every week. The numbers on this page are a snapshot and not a promise. You can use them to judge whether a quote at the counter looks far above what the pharmacy paid.

We did not find a government list of what pharmacies charge at the counter, so we do not quote a counter price. Our guide on getting prescriptions without insurance explains how to compare cash prices and how health center pharmacies work.

The visit often costs more than the pills

Antibiotics are prescription medicines, so a licensed clinician has to write the order. For many people, the visit costs far more than the pills. MedlinePlus, a health site from the National Library of Medicine, says antibiotics such as amoxicillin do not work for colds, flu and other viral infections. It also says that taking them when they are not needed raises your risk of a later infection that resists treatment. Only a clinician can tell which kind of infection you have.

A community health center charges on a sliding scale based on your income, so it can be a low-cost place to be seen. A direct primary care doctor charges a monthly membership, usually $50 to $200 a month. That doctor may be able to see you quickly for a sick visit. You can search for a cash-pay doctor near you. Our guide on what urgent care costs without insurance shows what to ask about a walk-in visit.

This page is general information and not medical advice. Please do not skip a visit because of the cost of the medicine, since the medicine is often the smaller part of the bill. For an emergency, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room.

Ways to pay less at the pharmacy

1. Ask your clinician to write the prescription with the generic name, which is the plain name of the medicine itself.
2. Call two or three pharmacies and say, "I do not have insurance, so what is your cash price for this prescription?"
3. Ask for the price before the pharmacist fills the prescription, so nothing surprises you at the register.

Many pharmacies keep a list of low-cost generics, so it is worth asking whether yours does. If you use a health center, you can also ask whether it has its own pharmacy.

If the price is still too high, tell your clinician or pharmacist. They hear this often and may suggest a lower-cost option, though they are the ones who decide what fits your health. The guide on asking for the cash price has a phone script you can use.