Prices checked Nov 2, 2026
Mounjaro costs $499 a month without insurance from LillyDirect
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Where to buy branded Mounjaro
| Seller | Form | Dose | Monthly cash price | Checked | Seller's site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LillyDirect | Pen | Every dose | $499 | October 27, 2026 |
Compare all 8 offers. Monthly prices include any membership fee.
LillyDirect sells Mounjaro for $499 a month at every dose from 2.5mg to 15mg, in the single-dose pen, self-pay only, with a prescription. Zepbound is the same drug, tirzepatide, approved for weight loss, and LillyDirect sells its vials for $299 a month at the 2.5mg starting dose, $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg and up with 45-day refills, according to GLP Chart. Compounded tirzepatide, a pharmacy-made version that is not FDA-approved and is not Zepbound or Mounjaro, is the cheapest cash route to tirzepatide on our chart.
Compounded options
If your plan says no, three cash programs to check.
- Check price →
- Check price →SnagRx's homepage shows its 12-month prepaid prices first
SnagRx$149 a monthBilled monthly. The 12-month plan is $119 a month, billed as $1,428 up front.compounded tirzepatide - Check price →A health form first, then you choose your plan
On a commercial plan the Mounjaro savings card takes the copay to $25 a month. What Mounjaro costs with your plan.
Every way to pay for Mounjaro
| How you pay | Price | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collective: compounded tirzepatide | $69 a month $69 a month plus $199 a year membership Check price | Pharmacy-made, not Zepbound or Mounjaro. Not available in AL, CA, LA, MA, MS, WA. | collective.org Read October 30, 2026 |
| SnagRx: compounded tirzepatide | $149 a month No membership Check price | Pharmacy-made, not Zepbound or Mounjaro. | snagrx.com/terms-conditions Read October 30, 2026 |
| Shed: compounded tirzepatide | $299 a month No membership Check price | Pharmacy-made, not Zepbound or Mounjaro. | tryshed.com/lp/glp-1-pricing Read October 30, 2026 |
| List price | $1,112.16 a fill | Lilly's price before discounts. | pricinginfo.lilly.com/mounjaro Read October 27, 2026 |
| LillyDirect: Mounjaro pen | $499 a month at every dose | Lilly sells the single-dose pen for cash with a prescription. | lilly.com/lillydirect Read October 27, 2026 |
| Savings card | As little as $25 a fill | For commercial insurance that covers Mounjaro. Up to $150 off a month and $1,950 a year. Government beneficiaries excluded. The card ends December 31, 2026. | mounjaro.lilly.com/savings-coverage Read October 30, 2026 |
| Insurance | Set by your plan | If your commercial plan does not cover Mounjaro, a separate card offer goes as low as $499 a month. | mounjaro.lilly.com/savings-coverage Read October 30, 2026 |
| Medicare | Varies by plan | Lilly says many Part D plans cover Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro is not on Medicare's GLP-1 Bridge list. | mounjaro.lilly.com/savings-coverage Read October 30, 2026 medicare.gov/coverage/weight-loss-drugs Read October 30, 2026 |
The four cash prices, checked November 2, 2026
- Wegovy$149 to $399/moAt NovoCare: the 1.5mg starter pill to the 7.2mg HD pen.
- Ozempic$349 to $499/moAt NovoCare: the pen by dose, from the third fill.
- Zepbound$299 to $699/moAt LillyDirect: vials by dose.
- Mounjaro$499/moAt LillyDirect: the single-dose pen, the same price at every dose. You are here.
Wegovy and Ozempic are the same drug, semaglutide, from Novo Nordisk. Zepbound and Mounjaro are the same drug, tirzepatide, from Eli Lilly. Every price we track, for every program, is in the GLP-1 price index.
Wegovy pill cost and Zepbound KwikPen cost have pages of their own.
Lilly Cares does not cover Mounjaro. The page prices what works instead.
Every tirzepatide cash path, side by side
| Path | Cost / mo | Cost / year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro with insurance (diabetes diagnosis) | $25 to $100 | $300 to $1,200 | Payer coverage |
| Compounded tirzepatide | $69 to $129 | $828 to $1,548 | Collective $69, Price Index |
| Mounjaro self-pay pens, LillyDirect | $499 Every dose, 2.5mg to 15mg | $5,988 | LillyDirect |
| Zepbound self-pay vials, the cheaper branded tirzepatide | $299 to $699 2.5mg to 15mg; $449 at 7.5mg and up with 45-day refills | $4,788 to $8,388 5mg and up | Zepbound cost; Amazon Pharmacy |
| Mounjaro pen, retail pharmacy cash | about $1,069 | about $12,828 | Mounjaro drug page |
Mounjaro self-pay price: LillyDirect's Mounjaro page, checked October 27, 2026. Prices are checked every week against Eli Lilly's published pricing and LillyDirect, then logged on the Price Index. We do not create accounts or make purchases to verify them. These are ongoing prices, not multi-month prepay teasers.
- Mounjaro is $499 a month from LillyDirect. Self-pay only, in the single-dose pen, the same price at every dose. Zepbound vials through LillyDirect cost less up to 7.5mg, from $299 a month.
- Compounded tirzepatide is the cheapest cash route. Not FDA-approved, prepared by a licensed pharmacy, month-to-month with no lock-in. Supply is narrowing under litigation.
- Weight loss is off-label. Mounjaro is approved for diabetes, not weight loss. For weight loss, Zepbound is the indicated tirzepatide and the simpler path.
What Mounjaro costs from LillyDirect
LillyDirect sells Mounjaro in the single-dose pen, self-pay only, with a prescription, for $499 a month at every dose from 2.5mg to 15mg. A month is 28 days, up to 4 single-dose pens. That is less than the retail pharmacy figure of about $1,069 a month, and more than the Zepbound vial at any dose up to 7.5mg.
That changes the strategy. If you have type 2 diabetes, the cheapest path is almost always insurance, because diabetes coverage is widespread. Without coverage, Lilly sells the same tirzepatide as Zepbound vials, $299 to $699 a month by dose, and compounded tirzepatide, which the FDA has not approved, runs $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership.
What Mounjaro costs with insurance
When a commercial plan covers Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, the copay usually runs $25 to $100 a month. This is the cheapest path for most diabetes patients, and the easiest to clear, because diabetes is a long-standing covered indication rather than the contested weight-loss category. The hurdle is the diagnosis itself plus prior authorization, which most diabetes patients meet.
Plans rarely cover Mounjaro for weight loss alone, since Zepbound is the labeled obesity product. Check our payer coverage pages for your insurer. If prior authorization is required, our PA letter templates cover the major payers. If you are denied, the appeal letter builder drafts the response. Medicare Part D plans generally cover Mounjaro for diabetes; the Medicare GLP-1 cost guide covers the July 1, 2026 Bridge for the weight-loss side.
Since August 28, 2026 the label carries a second indication: reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack and non-fatal stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk of those events. For a prior authorization that is one more line to cite. The indication sits inside type 2 diabetes, so it opens no new coverage category, and the trial behind it tied Trulicity. What the FDA label says has the trial numbers.
Zepbound vials: branded tirzepatide for less
If you want a branded tirzepatide at a cash price and you do not have diabetes coverage, the answer is not Mounjaro. It is Zepbound. LillyDirect sells single-dose Zepbound vials, the same tirzepatide molecule at the same doses, for $299 a month at the 2.5mg starting dose, $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg to 15mg if you refill within 45 days, otherwise $499 at 7.5mg and $699 at 10mg to 15mg. The full breakdown is on the Zepbound cost guide.
The catch is the dose. $299 buys the 2.5mg starting dose only. As you titrate up the weeks of dose ramp-up before you reach your steady dose to a maintenance dose, the price rises to $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg to 15mg if you refill within 45 days, otherwise $499 at 7.5mg and $699 at 10mg to 15mg. Budget on those.
Compounded tirzepatide: the $69 route the FDA has not approved
Compounded tirzepatide is not Mounjaro, and the FDA has not approved it. A licensed 503A pharmacy makes it against a prescription, and the FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or quality. Its formulation, including the salt form, can differ from the approved drug. Ask your prescriber which pharmacy makes it and which form of tirzepatide it uses. Compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month is the cheapest tirzepatide path on the chart, below LillyDirect's $499 Mounjaro pen.
The floor is $69 a month at Collective, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership. That is a starting price. For one number that holds at every dose, Eden is $129 a month flat. If you want a branded source, LillyDirect sells Zepbound vials for $299 to $699 a month by dose.
What Mounjaro costs per year
Mounjaro is a long-term medication, so the annual number is the one that matters. A year of retail Mounjaro costs about $12,828 with no insurance. Compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership, is $828 a year, and Zepbound vials at 5mg, $399 a month, are $4,788 a year. With insurance covering Mounjaro for diabetes, a year can cost as little as $300 to $1,200 in copays.
The gap between the cheapest tirzepatide route and retail cash is $12,000 a year, and the cheap end is a drug the FDA has not approved. That gap is the whole reason to compare before you start.
Why Mounjaro is so expensive in the US
The $1,069 retail price is a US phenomenon. The same tirzepatide costs a fraction of that in Europe. The US has no central drug-price negotiation, and pharmacy-benefit managers capture much of the rebate between list and net price. The retail figure is mostly a sticker. Cash buyers pay less through LillyDirect: Mounjaro pens at $499 a month, Zepbound vials at $299 to $699 a month by dose, or compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership.
Tirzepatide earns its price on results. In the SURPASS-2 registration trial (NEJM, 2021), Mounjaro at the top dose produced a mean weight loss of 13.1% over 40 weeks in type 2 diabetes patients, beating semaglutide 1mg head to head. The clinical case is strong. The pricing case is what this page is for.
Every Mounjaro dose step on the FDA label, and the one program that publishes a price →
What to do next
If you have type 2 diabetes, ask your prescriber about Mounjaro and run it through insurance first, where a $25 to $100 copay is the likely outcome. If you do not have diabetes coverage and you want this molecule, do not pay $1,069 retail for Mounjaro. Compare Zepbound vials, $299 to $699 a month by dose, and the $69 compounded tirzepatide route instead. Then compare every program's real all-in price on the GLP Chart, and see the full GLP-1 cost picture across every drug.
Mounjaro cost FAQ
How much does Mounjaro cost without insurance?
LillyDirect, Eli Lilly's own pharmacy, sells Mounjaro single-dose pens self-pay for $499 a month at every dose from 2.5mg to 15mg, with a prescription. A month is 28 days, up to 4 single-dose pens. At a retail pharmacy the cash price is about $1,069 a month. Zepbound single-dose vials through LillyDirect cost less up to 7.5mg: $299 a month at 2.5mg, $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg if you refill within 45 days. Compounded tirzepatide, which the FDA has not approved and which is not Mounjaro, is $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership.
What is the cheapest way to get Mounjaro?
If you have type 2 diabetes and your plan covers it, an insured copay of $25 to $100 a month is the cheapest path. Without coverage, Mounjaro itself is $499 a month self-pay from LillyDirect, and the cheapest tirzepatide overall is compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month through Collective, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership. The cheapest branded tirzepatide is Zepbound self-pay vials through LillyDirect, $299 a month at the 2.5mg starting dose and $399 at 5mg, the same active ingredient as Mounjaro from the same maker. The compounded route is not FDA-approved and is not Mounjaro.
Does Mounjaro have a LillyDirect cash price like Zepbound?
Yes. LillyDirect sells Mounjaro single-dose pens self-pay for $499 a month at every dose from 2.5mg to 15mg, according to its own Mounjaro page, checked October 27, 2026. It is self-pay only and needs a prescription. There is no Mounjaro vial: the vials LillyDirect sells are Zepbound, $299 a month at the 2.5mg starting dose, $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg to 15mg if you refill within 45 days, otherwise $499 at 7.5mg and $699 at 10mg to 15mg.
How much does Mounjaro cost per month with insurance?
When a commercial plan covers Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, the copay typically runs $25 to $100 a month. Mounjaro is far easier to get covered than the weight-loss tirzepatide, because diabetes is a long-standing covered indication. The hurdle is the diagnosis and prior authorization. Plans rarely cover Mounjaro for weight loss alone, since Zepbound is the indicated obesity product.
Is Mounjaro the same as Zepbound?
Mounjaro and Zepbound are the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, made by Eli Lilly at the same doses. The difference is the approved indication. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes; Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management and obstructive sleep apnea. For a US patient without diabetes, Zepbound is the indicated option and comes in cash vials; Mounjaro for weight loss is off-label and uncommon in 2026.
Is compounded tirzepatide the same as Mounjaro?
No. Compounded tirzepatide is not Mounjaro, and the FDA has not approved it. A licensed 503A pharmacy makes it against a prescription, and the FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or quality. Its formulation, including the salt form, can differ from the approved drug. Ask your prescriber which pharmacy makes it and which form of tirzepatide it uses. It costs $69 to $349 a month cash.
Why is Mounjaro so expensive in the US?
Eli Lilly sets the US list price near $1,069 a month, far above the price in Europe, because the US has no central drug-price negotiation and pharmacy-benefit middlemen capture much of the rebate. The retail figure is mostly a sticker. Cash buyers pay less through LillyDirect: Mounjaro pens at $499 a month, Zepbound vials $299 a month at the 2.5mg starting dose, $399 at 5mg and $449 at 7.5mg to 15mg if you refill within 45 days, otherwise $499 at 7.5mg and $699 at 10mg to 15mg, or compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership.
Can I use Mounjaro for weight loss?
Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss, and off-label Mounjaro prescribing for weight loss has narrowed sharply since Zepbound launched in late 2023. If your goal is weight loss, Zepbound is the indicated tirzepatide, the simpler insurance path, and the one sold in cash vials, $299 to $699 a month by dose. The clinical effect of the molecule is the same; the label and the cash routes differ.
How much does a year of Mounjaro cost?
A year of Mounjaro from LillyDirect at $499 a month is $5,988 over 12 fills; a retail pharmacy at about $1,069 a month is about $12,828. Compounded tirzepatide at $69 a month, drug price, plus $199 yearly membership, works out to $828 a year, and Zepbound vials at 5mg, $399 a month, are $4,788 a year. With insurance covering Mounjaro for diabetes, a year can cost as little as about $300 to $1,200 in copays.
Does Medicare cover Mounjaro?
Medicare Part D plans generally cover Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, the same as other diabetes drugs, with copays that vary by plan. Medicare does not cover Mounjaro for weight loss. Since July 1, 2026, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge has covered qualifying GLP-1s at a flat $50 a month for eligible Part D beneficiaries meeting CMS clinical criteria, which is the relevant program for the weight-loss indication.