Rehab costs range from a few thousand dollars for outpatient programs to $50,000 or more for a 30-day residential stay, depending on the type of program, location, and whether you have insurance. The price gap between the cheapest and most expensive options is enormous, so understanding what drives costs helps you find a program that fits your budget without compromising your recovery.
Residential (Inpatient) Rehab Costs
Residential treatment, where you live at the facility full-time, is the most expensive option. Average costs hover around $55,000 to $60,000 for a 30-day stay, which works out to roughly $1,800 to $2,000 per day without insurance. That price typically covers room and board, medical supervision, individual and group therapy, and basic aftercare planning.
Programs lasting 60 or 90 days cost proportionally more, and many clinicians recommend the longer stays for severe addictions. A 90-day residential program can run $100,000 to $180,000 at full price. Luxury or executive rehab centers charge significantly more, sometimes $30,000 to $100,000 per month, for private rooms, resort-style amenities, and concierge-level care. On the other end, state-funded and nonprofit residential programs may cost little or nothing out of pocket for people who qualify based on income.
What pushes the price up or down within residential care comes down to a few key factors: geographic location, staff-to-patient ratio, whether the facility offers specialized services like dual-diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions, and the overall quality of the physical environment.
Outpatient Program Costs
Outpatient rehab lets you live at home while attending treatment sessions during the day or evening. It costs substantially less than residential care because you’re not paying for housing or 24-hour supervision. There are two main tiers.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) typically run three to five days a week for several hours per session. Daily fees range from $150 to $800, so a standard 8- to 12-week IOP program might cost anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 total without insurance. Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) sit between IOP and residential care. You attend treatment for most of the day, five to seven days a week, but go home at night. PHP programs generally cost more than IOP but less than full inpatient stays, often falling in the range of $350 to $1,000 per day.
For people with milder substance use disorders, or as a step down from residential care, standard outpatient therapy (one to two sessions per week) can cost as little as $50 to $200 per session, making it the most affordable formal treatment option.
Medication Costs
Many people in recovery for opioid or alcohol addiction use medications that reduce cravings and prevent relapse. These add to the overall cost of rehab, though they’re often far cheaper than the treatment programs themselves.
Oral naltrexone, a daily pill that blocks the effects of opioids and reduces alcohol cravings, runs about $57 per month at generic pricing. Its injectable form, sold as Vivitrol and given once monthly, costs closer to $500 per injection before insurance. Methadone, dispensed daily through licensed clinics, averages around $130 per month per patient. Buprenorphine tablets (generic versions) can cost as little as $7 to $20 per month, though brand-name films and injectable forms like Sublocade run significantly higher, around $500 per month for the injection.
Insurance covers most of these medications, and many manufacturers offer patient assistance programs that reduce or eliminate copays. If you’re paying out of pocket, generic options are dramatically cheaper than brand-name versions.
What Insurance Typically Covers
Federal law requires most health insurance plans to cover substance use disorder treatment. The Affordable Care Act classifies mental health and substance use services as one of ten essential health benefits that individual and small group plans must include. A separate federal law, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, prevents insurers from imposing stricter limits on addiction treatment than they do on medical or surgical care. That means your copays, coinsurance, visit limits, and prior authorization requirements for rehab cannot be more restrictive than what the plan applies to comparable medical benefits.
In practical terms, many people with private insurance pay 10% to 50% of the total cost out of pocket, depending on their plan’s deductible, copay structure, and whether the facility is in-network. A $55,000 residential stay might cost you $5,000 to $15,000 after insurance, though the range varies widely. Calling your insurer before choosing a facility is the single most important step for managing costs, because in-network versus out-of-network status can shift your bill by tens of thousands of dollars.
Medicare and Medicaid Coverage
Medicare Part A covers inpatient rehabilitation with a $1,736 deductible per benefit period in 2026. After that deductible, you pay nothing for the first 60 days. Days 61 through 90 cost $434 per day, and beyond day 90 you draw from a lifetime reserve of 60 days at $868 per day. Once those reserve days run out, you’re responsible for the full cost. Medicare Part B covers outpatient treatment, including therapy and medication management, at 80% after you meet the annual deductible.
Medicaid coverage varies by state but generally covers both inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment with minimal or zero cost to the patient. In states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level qualify. Medicaid is the single largest payer for addiction treatment in the United States, and many state-funded rehab programs accept it.
Sober Living and Aftercare Costs
The bill doesn’t necessarily end when you leave a treatment program. Many people transition to sober living homes, which are structured, substance-free residences where you live with others in recovery. Monthly rent for sober living ranges considerably. Budget or mission-driven homes charge $575 to $625 per month. Mid-range shared housing runs about $720 per month (roughly $180 per week). Higher-service homes that include case management, drug testing, and structured programming cost $1,600 to $2,800 per month. Premium sober living linked to treatment programs can reach $3,000 or more monthly.
Insurance rarely covers sober living because it’s classified as housing, not treatment. Some facilities offer scholarships or sliding-scale fees. Ongoing outpatient therapy, support group meetings, and medication costs also continue after primary treatment, typically adding $200 to $800 per month depending on the level of care.
Ways to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs
If the sticker price feels overwhelming, several options can bring costs down significantly. State-funded treatment programs offer free or reduced-cost rehab for uninsured or underinsured residents. Every state operates a substance abuse agency that manages these programs, and wait times vary from days to several weeks depending on demand.
- Sliding-scale programs adjust fees based on your income. Many nonprofit treatment centers use this model, and some charge as little as $100 per month for outpatient care.
- SAMHSA’s helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides free referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and state-funded programs 24 hours a day.
- Payment plans are offered by many private rehab facilities, spreading the cost over 12 to 24 months with little or no interest.
- Scholarships and grants from nonprofit organizations and some treatment centers cover partial or full tuition for people who demonstrate financial need.
The cost of rehab is real, but it’s worth comparing against the financial toll of untreated addiction. The average person with a substance use disorder spends thousands of dollars per year on their substance of choice alone, not counting lost wages, legal costs, and medical emergencies. Treatment, even at the higher price points, often pays for itself within the first year of sustained recovery.