Botox Costs in New York City
New Yorkers are familiar with needing to pay more for everything, including housing, food, etc.
Botox is no different and generally costs more in NYC than in other US cities. However, it can be challenging to compare Botox treatment cost across providers who have different pricing schemes and don't transparently list their prices online.
We spent hours calling and visiting websites for 100+ Botox providers in NYC to determine what is an expensive vs cheap Botox provider. It turns out that the cost of Botox varies from $180 to $750 per treatment area and session with an average cost of $300, though many factors affect a provider's pricing.
In this article, we’ll share all of our learnings. If you'd like to see the exact cost for specific providers, we made it possible to compare prices for Botox by treatment area across providers in NYC.
Do Botox prices differ by NYC borough?
It turns out there's huge variance based on which borough the provider is located in:
- Brooklyn Botox prices range from $9 to $15 per unit
- Queens Botox prices range from $10 to $16 per unit
- Staten Island Botox prices range from $9 to $12 per unit
- Manhattan Botox prices range from $10 to $24 per unit
- Bronx Botox prices range from $10 to $16 per unit
We found that Staten Island has the lowest average cost of Botox of $10 per unit, while it's no surprise that Manhattan is almost double with the highest average cost of Botox of $18 per unit.
That's a huge difference! For example, a typical Botox treatment for crow's feet around both eyes requires 24 units, so the average Botox cost for crow's feet is $240 in Staten Island vs $432 in Manhattan!
How does Botox pricing work?
Providers purchase Botox from Allergan, the manufacturer of Botox®, in vials that typically contain 100 Botox units, where each unit is a fixed amount of botulinum toxin molecules.
In New York City, the Botox injection cost generally follows one of two pricing schemes:
- per unit
- per area
What is per unit pricing?
Some places charge a set Botox price “per unit” injected. For these providers, the exact Botox treatment cost and number of units will be determined during an in-person evaluation.
For the three FDA-approved areas, you can expect the actual number of units to approximate the labeled dosage in the Botox® prescribing information:
- Forehead lines - 20 units
- Glabellar lines - 20 units
- Crow's feet - 24 units
We found that across NYC, the Botox cost per unit ranges from $10 to $24 per unit.
Note that some providers may require paying for a minimum number of units. For example, you may need to pay for 20 units even if you don’t end up needing all 20 units.
What is per area pricing?
Some places charge a set Botox price “per area” where an “area” is loosely defined as a region of the face. The three most commonly treated areas are the ones approved by the FDA (forehead lines, glabellar lines, crow’s feet), and usually all have the same price. Other areas, such as the masseter (jaw muscles), lip flip, bunny lines, etc, have different set prices based on how many units are typically required.
Providers set a fixed Botox price per area to offer more upfront clarity to patients on cost without worrying about the number of units necessary to treat an area. It also effectively ensures a minimum spend for each patient, so you may end up paying more or less than what you might pay if you went to a provider who charges per unit.
In New York City, per-area pricing can generally range from $300 to $750 per area, though most providers will offer a discount when treating 2 or more areas.
How much are Botox consultations?
Some providers do not charge any consultation fee. But most providers will charge a consultation fee that ranges from $50 to $350. Consultations are done to establish a custom treatment plan and decide if Botox treatments or another cosmetic procedure are the right fit for you.
However, the consultation fee usually goes towards the Botox treatment cost and is only needed for the first visit with a provider. In addition, you can expect to receive treatment during the same visit as the consultation.
Do Botox prices vary based on provider credentials?
In New York, Botox injectors are required to be medical professionals - either a physician/dentist, nurse practitioner (NP), or registered nurse (RN).
We found that cheaper Botox is more likely to be offered by RNs or NPs than physicians, but it's definitely not always the case. An independent physician that's NOT a dermatologist or plastic surgeon can offer lower prices than an RN working at a large medspa chain. For example, we found Ivy League trained independent neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists who charge as low as $10 per unit while certain medspa chains who employ RNs charge $15 per unit.
It is noteworthy that specifically dermatologists and plastic surgeons charge a premium that starts from $20 to $24 per unit, while often charging a consultation fee of $250 or more.
Compare Botox® providers in NYC
We've compiled our data in one easy-to-use search interface to make it possible for New Yorkers to compare specific Botox providers on their exact pricing, whether a consultation fee or minimum spend is required, and how the price changes based on your treatment areas.
We also included availability, reviews, ratings, education credentials, and plan to add much more, including other cosmetic procedures.
Founded by native New Yorkers who live in NYC, Certainly’s mission is to bring price transparency to healthcare for both medical and cosmetic procedures, with or without health insurance coverage.
Please reach out to us at hello@certainlyhealth.com if you have any questions, feedback, or concerns!
