Ozempic is cheaper than Saxenda at list price. A 30-day supply of Ozempic costs roughly $998 to $1,028, while a 30-day supply of Saxenda runs $1,349. That’s a difference of about $320 to $350 per month before insurance, coupons, or pharmacy discounts come into play. But list price is rarely what you actually pay, and several factors can shift the real cost significantly in either direction.
List Prices Side by Side
Both medications are made by Novo Nordisk, and the company publishes list prices on its NovoCare website. Ozempic comes in at $997.58 to $1,027.51 for a single pen, regardless of whether you’re on the 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg dose. Each pen covers four weeks of once-weekly injections. Saxenda’s list price is $1,349.02 for a 30-day supply, reflecting the fact that it requires a daily injection rather than a weekly one.
On a per-day basis, the gap is even clearer. Ozempic works out to roughly $33 to $37 per day at list price, while Saxenda costs about $45 per day.
What You Actually Pay With Insurance
List price is the sticker price before your insurer’s negotiated discounts, rebates, and your plan’s copay structure. Your real out-of-pocket cost depends on whether your plan covers the drug, which tier it sits on, and whether you’ve met your deductible.
There’s an important catch here: Ozempic is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. Most insurance plans cover it readily for diabetes, but if your doctor prescribes it off-label for weight management, your insurer may deny the claim entirely. Saxenda is approved specifically for weight management, so plans that cover obesity medications are more likely to pay for it. A drug with a higher list price but actual insurance coverage will cost you far less than a cheaper drug your plan won’t touch.
If you have commercial insurance that covers either medication, both Novo Nordisk savings cards can reduce your copay further. The Ozempic card brings your cost down to as little as $25 per month, with a maximum savings of $100 per month for up to 48 months. Saxenda’s savings card caps at $200 per month in savings, with up to 12 months of benefits. Neither card works with government insurance like Medicare or Medicaid.
Medicare and Government Insurance
Medicare Part D has historically not covered medications prescribed solely for weight loss. That’s changing, but slowly. CMS is launching the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a short-term demonstration program running from July 2026 through December 2027 that will cover certain GLP-1 drugs for weight reduction. The eligible medications listed so far are Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo. Neither Saxenda nor Ozempic is on that list.
Ozempic is separately part of Medicare’s Drug Price Negotiation Program, with a negotiated price taking effect in January 2027. That negotiated price applies to its approved use for diabetes, not weight loss. So if you’re on Medicare and looking for a GLP-1 specifically for weight management, neither Saxenda nor Ozempic currently offers a clear coverage path.
The Generic Factor
This is where Saxenda’s cost picture is shifting dramatically. In August 2025, Teva Pharmaceuticals launched a generic version of Saxenda (liraglutide injection), marking the first generic GLP-1 medication approved for weight loss in the United States. Generic drugs typically cost 30% to 80% less than their brand-name counterparts, though the exact retail price for generic liraglutide will vary by pharmacy.
Ozempic has no generic version available. Semaglutide is still under patent protection, so Ozempic’s price has no generic competitor pulling it down. This means that depending on what pharmacies charge for generic liraglutide, Saxenda’s generic could end up being substantially cheaper than Ozempic, potentially reversing the cost comparison entirely.
How Dosing Affects Total Cost
Saxenda requires a daily injection. You start at 0.6 mg and increase the dose weekly until reaching the maintenance dose of 3 mg. That means a pen gets used up quickly, and you’ll need a consistent monthly refill.
Ozempic is injected once per week. The maintenance dose is either 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg depending on your response and your doctor’s recommendation. A single pen lasts four weeks at any of these doses. Fewer injections and fewer pharmacy trips don’t change the monthly price, but they do affect convenience and how consistently people stick with treatment. Missing fewer doses means you’re less likely to waste medication.
Paying Without Insurance
If you’re paying entirely out of pocket, Ozempic is the less expensive option at list price by about $320 per month. But before committing to list price, check pharmacy discount programs like GoodRx or RxSaver, which negotiate lower cash prices that can shave hundreds off the sticker price for either medication. Prices vary widely between pharmacies, sometimes by $200 or more for the same drug in the same city.
The arrival of generic liraglutide also opens a new option for cash-pay patients. If the generic comes in at even 40% to 50% below Saxenda’s list price, it would undercut Ozempic’s list price as well, making it the cheapest injectable GLP-1 option available without insurance. It’s worth asking your pharmacist to price out generic liraglutide alongside both brand-name options before filling a prescription.