Rehab can be expensive, but the cost varies enormously depending on the type of program, your insurance, and whether you qualify for financial assistance. A standard 30-day inpatient program averages around $12,500, though prices range from $5,000 to $80,000 or more. Many people pay far less than the sticker price, and free or low-cost options exist in every state.
What 30 Days of Rehab Actually Costs
The most common benchmark is a 30-day residential program, which runs anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 at a standard facility. Inpatient care at a private facility averages about $575 per day, or roughly $17,250 for a full month. That number drops significantly at nonprofit or state-funded centers and climbs steeply at luxury facilities, where a month’s stay typically falls between $30,000 and $100,000.
Outpatient treatment costs considerably less. A Georgetown University analysis estimated outpatient treatment for cocaine or heroin addiction at about $3,100 per person per year, while residential treatment for cocaine ran roughly $12,500. The gap reflects the difference between living at a facility with round-the-clock supervision versus attending scheduled sessions while living at home.
What Insurance Is Required to Cover
If you have health insurance, a significant portion of rehab costs may already be covered. Under the Affordable Care Act, all Marketplace plans must cover substance use disorder treatment as an essential health benefit. Insurers cannot deny you coverage or charge higher premiums because of a substance use condition, and they cannot impose yearly or lifetime dollar limits on this coverage.
Federal law also requires “parity” between mental health or substance abuse benefits and medical or surgical benefits. That means your insurer can’t set stricter limits on rehab visits, copays, or prior authorization requirements than it sets for comparable medical care. If your plan covers 30 days of inpatient care for a surgical recovery, it generally can’t cap substance abuse treatment at 14 days. If you’ve been denied coverage or hit an unexpected limit on visits, copays, or deductibles, you may have grounds to appeal under federal and state parity laws.
Even with insurance, you’ll likely face some out-of-pocket costs through deductibles, copays, and coinsurance. Call your insurer before choosing a facility and ask specifically about in-network providers, what percentage of residential treatment they cover, and whether prior authorization is needed.
Low-Cost and Free Options
Every state operates some form of publicly funded substance use treatment system. Counties typically partner with community-based organizations to deliver services, and Medicaid covers substance use disorder treatment, including residential care, in many states. If you have no insurance or very limited income, these programs may cover the full cost.
Federally funded health centers use a sliding fee discount scale tied to your income relative to the federal poverty guidelines. If your household income is at or below 100% of the poverty line, you receive a full discount, sometimes paying nothing or only a nominal fee. Partial discounts apply for incomes between 100% and 200% of the poverty line, with at least three graduated discount levels in between. For example, someone at 150% of the poverty line might receive a 50% discount, turning an $80 charge into $40. Above 200%, you pay the standard fee.
SAMHSA’s national helpline (1-800-662-4357) connects callers with local treatment options and referrals at no cost. Many states also run their own helplines to match people with available programs based on their financial situation and clinical needs.
Luxury Rehab: What the Premium Buys
At the top end, luxury facilities charge $30,000 to $100,000 per month. The clinical treatment, group therapy, and medical supervision are broadly similar to what standard programs offer. What changes is the setting: private rooms, gourmet meals prepared by personal chefs, spa services, and locations designed to feel like a resort rather than a medical facility.
Many luxury centers also offer specialized programming like equine therapy, adventure therapy, acupuncture, yoga, and fitness counseling. Because these facilities often serve celebrities and high-profile professionals, strict confidentiality protocols are standard, including non-disclosure agreements for all staff. For most people, though, the clinical outcomes of a well-run standard program are comparable, and the premium largely pays for comfort and privacy.
Costs That Continue After Rehab
The bill doesn’t necessarily end when a 30-day program does. Many people transition into sober living homes, which provide structured, substance-free housing while they rebuild routines and attend outpatient treatment. Nationally, a shared room in a sober living home runs $450 to $800 per month, while private rooms cost $1,000 to $2,500. In expensive cities like Los Angeles, a realistic monthly budget for a mid-range shared room lands between $1,800 and $2,800. In lower-cost areas like Austin or Baltimore, that drops to $1,000 to $1,400.
Sober living rent is separate from clinical care. Most private insurance plans do not cover the housing cost, since it isn’t classified as a clinical service. However, insurance often does cover the outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient programs, or medication-assisted treatment you attend while living there. Plan for these as independent expenses.
The Cost of Not Getting Treatment
The price of rehab looks different when weighed against the financial toll of untreated addiction. Research from Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute estimated that untreated addiction costs roughly $43,200 per person per year, driven largely by the cost of incarceration (about $39,600 annually per person). That figure doesn’t account for lost wages, medical emergencies, legal fees, or the financial strain on families. A one-time investment of $5,000 to $20,000 for residential treatment, or $3,100 for a year of outpatient care, is a fraction of what ongoing addiction tends to cost over time.