How much does tirzepatide cost in 2026?

Tirzepatide is sold three ways in the US, and the price depends on which one you buy. As of October 26, 2026, Zepbound costs $299 to $449 a month self-pay at LillyDirect if you refill within 45 days, Mounjaro costs $499 a month at every dose, and compounded tirzepatide runs $85.58 to $378.08 a month at the online programs we track. With commercial insurance or Medicare, a brand-name fill can cost $25 or $50.

This page puts those prices side by side, dose by dose. For the full Zepbound breakdown, including what each online program adds, see our Zepbound cost guide.

Tirzepatide prices at a glance

Scroll sideways to see the full table

Prices for Lilly’s products come from LillyDirect and Lilly’s savings terms, read on October 26, 2026. Program prices come from each program’s own site, as of October 2026.

Tirzepatide price by dose

Here is what each dose costs from Lilly when you pay cash. The Zepbound prices apply to both the single-dose vial and the KwikPen.

Scroll sideways to see the full table

The $449 price at 7.5 mg and up comes from Lilly’s Self Pay Journey Program, which you get automatically on your first fill at those doses. You keep it only if each refill is bought within 45 days of the last delivery. Lilly calls $499 and $699 the regular prices (Lilly).

On the Zepbound label, you start at 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then step up by 2.5 mg no sooner than every 4 weeks. The maintenance doses for weight loss are 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg. So the $299 price lasts one month, and most people pay $399 or $449 after that.

A few practical details change the real cost:

• A self-pay month is 28 days, so a year takes 13 fills, not 12.
• The KwikPen needs pen needles, and vials need needles and syringes. Lilly says both are bought separately.
• Vials are sold only through LillyDirect. The KwikPen can also be filled at a retail pharmacy with Lilly’s self-pay savings card, which gives the same prices.

Our guide to Zepbound vials vs the KwikPen explains how to choose between them.

List price vs what you pay

Lilly publishes list prices, the wholesale acquisition cost it charges wholesalers before any discounts. As of January 1, 2026, that was $1,112.16 per fill for Mounjaro and $499 to $1,086.37 per fill for Zepbound (Lilly). Lilly says what you pay depends on your insurance, the pharmacy and any assistance you use. Cash buyers at LillyDirect pay the self-pay prices above instead.

Zepbound vs Mounjaro: same molecule, different labels

Zepbound and Mounjaro both contain tirzepatide and come in the same six strengths. They differ in what the FDA approved them for. The Mounjaro label covers blood sugar control in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, and lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk. Zepbound is the one approved for weight loss and for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Prescribing Mounjaro for weight loss alone is off-label.

On price, Mounjaro is a flat $499 a month self-pay at LillyDirect. That is more than Zepbound at every dose with on-time refills. The only case where Mounjaro costs less is a Zepbound fill of 10 mg to 15 mg bought late, at $699.

Some online programs list Mounjaro well above Lilly’s self-pay price. As of October 2026, Mochi Health lists it as low as $499 plus its $79 monthly membership, Eden at $1,399 a month plus its $99 membership, and Hims at $1,899 a month plus its $149 membership. Ask any program which pharmacy fills the prescription and at what price. Our guide to Mounjaro vs Zepbound covers the differences beyond cost.

Compounded tirzepatide prices

Taking each program’s lowest ongoing monthly price, with medication and any required membership included, compounded tirzepatide runs $85.58 to $378.08 a month at the programs we track, as of October 2026. That counts prepaid plans of any length and leaves out first-month and sale prices. About half of those programs say their price is the same at every dose, one charges more as the dose rises, and the rest don’t say.

Scroll sideways to see the full table

The low end usually needs a commitment. yourEra’s $99 needs a year paid up front, and Collective’s membership is billed once a year. Where the price rises with dose, the figure above covers the lowest doses only, so ask for the price at your likely maintenance dose before you sign up.

The lower price buys a different product. Compounded tirzepatide is not Zepbound or Mounjaro, and not a generic of either. A compounding pharmacy prepares it, it isn’t FDA-approved, and the FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they’re sold (FDA). The trial results on the Zepbound label were measured with Zepbound itself.

Our compounded tirzepatide cost guide goes program by program, our compounded tirzepatide rankings order them by our published rating method, and our cheapest tirzepatide list orders them by price. For the trade-offs beyond price, read compounded tirzepatide vs Zepbound.

What a year of tirzepatide costs

These are medication totals, plus the program fee where a compounded price includes one. An online program that prescribes Zepbound or Mounjaro usually charges its own membership on top. Our Zepbound cost guide lists those fees program by program.

Tirzepatide cost with insurance

Coverage changes the math more than any discount. In brief:

• Commercial insurance that covers Zepbound: Lilly’s savings card can bring a 1, 2 or 3-month fill of the single-dose pen to as little as $25. Savings are capped at $100 a month and $1,300 a year, and the card ends on December 31, 2026 (Lilly). Lilly also says Zepbound coverage has been restored on select CVS Caremark formularies.
• Commercial insurance that doesn’t cover it: the card brings the single-dose pen to $499 a month, or the KwikPen to the same $299 to $449 as self-pay, with on-time refills.
• Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes: Lilly’s card brings a covered fill to as little as $25, with savings capped at $150 a month and $1,950 a year (Lilly).
• Medicare Part D: the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge charges eligible enrollees a $50 copay for Zepbound for weight management from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027. The $50 doesn’t count toward your Part D out-of-pocket costs, and the low-income subsidy doesn’t apply to it.
• Medicaid, VA, TRICARE and other government plans: Lilly’s savings cards exclude you. Coverage depends on your plan.

Our Zepbound coupon guide covers the card’s terms in full, our Medicare guide explains who qualifies for the Bridge, and our insurance rankings list programs that help with prior authorizations.

Ways to pay less for tirzepatide

• Refill Zepbound within 45 days. At 10 mg to 15 mg it is $449 instead of $699 a month.
• Compare Zepbound with Mounjaro on the label, not only the price. Zepbound costs less at every dose with on-time refills, and it’s the one approved for weight loss.
• Check your coverage before you pay cash. A covered single-dose pen with Lilly’s card can cost $25, and the Medicare Bridge $50.
• For compounded plans, ask for the all-in price at your maintenance dose and the plan length it needs.
• Check prices again in January. Lilly’s savings card terms end on December 31, 2026.

The bottom line

As of October 26, 2026, tirzepatide costs $299 to $449 a month as self-pay Zepbound with on-time refills, $499 as Mounjaro, and $85.58 to $378.08 a month as a compounded plan, which isn’t FDA-approved. Insurance with Lilly’s savings card, or Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge, can bring a brand-name fill to $25 or $50. Check your coverage first, then talk to a licensed clinician about which form and dose suit you. To compare everything on the market, start from our weight-loss hub or our tirzepatide provider rankings.