Is Ozempic or Mounjaro Cheaper? Cost, Insurance & Savings (2026)
Reviewed by Sydney Duong, RD, GLPeak Clinical Lead · Last updated 2026-06-17
Quick answer: At list price, Ozempic and Mounjaro both run roughly $1,000–$1,100/month. With commercial insurance that covers them plus the manufacturer savings cards, both can drop to about $25/month. Without insurance, both stay close to list price — unlike the weight-loss brands (Zepbound, Wegovy), the diabetes brands have no low-cost self-pay vial program, so the deciding factor is usually which one your plan covers.
List price vs. what you actually pay
Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) both carry a list price of roughly $1,000–$1,100/month as of 2026. Almost nobody pays the sticker, though — what you pay is driven by your insurance and the manufacturer savings card, not the list price.
Both are FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, which is what makes insurance coverage (and the low copays below) realistic — coverage for diabetes is far more common than for weight management.
Insurance + savings card path
If you have commercial (non-government) insurance that covers the drug for type 2 diabetes, the manufacturer savings cards bring both to roughly $25/month — Ozempic via NovoCare, Mounjaro via the Lilly savings card.
Prior authorization usually requires a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The deciding factor between the two is typically which one your specific plan's formulary prefers.
Without insurance (cash pay)
- Both stay close to list price (~$1,000–$1,100/month) without coverage.
- Neither diabetes brand has the discounted self-pay vial program that the weight-loss brands (Zepbound, Wegovy) offer.
- Compounded tirzepatide or semaglutide can be cheaper, but carries separate safety and legality considerations — see the compounded vs brand guide.
Which to ask your prescriber about
If your plan covers one and not the other: take the covered one and use its savings card — that single factor usually outweighs everything else.
If outcomes matter most: tirzepatide (Mounjaro) showed greater A1c and weight reduction than semaglutide (Ozempic) in the head-to-head SURPASS-2 trial.
If you don't have coverage: cost is similar between the two, so the choice is clinical rather than financial.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ozempic or Mounjaro cheaper without insurance?
They're similar. Without insurance, both run roughly $1,000–$1,100/month, close to list price, and neither has a discounted self-pay vial program like the weight-loss brands. So cash price isn't usually the deciding factor between them.
Do the Ozempic and Mounjaro savings cards work the same way?
Broadly, yes. Both require commercial insurance (not Medicare or Medicaid) and bring covered patients to roughly $25/month. Ozempic uses the NovoCare savings card; Mounjaro uses the Lilly savings card. Exact terms and caps change, so check the current card before relying on a number.
Does Medicare cover Ozempic or Mounjaro?
Medicare Part D can cover both for type 2 diabetes (unlike weight-loss use, which is generally excluded). However, manufacturer savings cards can't be used with government insurance, so your out-of-pocket cost depends on your plan's formulary tier.
References
Related GLPeak tools
- Ozempic vs Mounjaro (clinical)
- Ozempic savings card — who qualifies
- Compounded vs brand semaglutide
- Compare GLP-1 medications
Educational only — not medical advice. Consult your prescriber before changing any medication.