How Much Does Botox Cost? Full Price Guide by Area and Unit (2026)

By Chris Terry, Botox Aficionado
Updated 2026-06-17

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Botox costs $10 to $25 per unit in 2026, which works out to roughly $200 to $600 for a single treatment area and $400 to $1,200 for a full upper face. Most clinics price by the unit, so your final bill depends on how many units you need and your local market rate. The national average sits near $15 per unit.

Botox cost per unit and per area

Cosmetic Botox is almost always priced per unit. A "unit" is a standardized measure of botulinum toxin activity, and each treatment area needs a predictable range of units. Multiply the units by your provider's per-unit price to estimate the cost.

Treatment area	Typical units	Cost at $15/unit
Frown lines (the "11s" between the brows)	20 to 25	$300 to $375
Forehead lines	10 to 30	$150 to $450
Crow's feet (both sides)	12 to 24	$180 to $360
Full upper face (all three above)	40 to 60	$600 to $900
Lip flip	4 to 6	$60 to $90
Masseter (jaw, both sides)	40 to 60	$600 to $900
Neck bands	25 to 60	$375 to $900

Use the calculator at the top of this page to plug in your areas and a local per-unit price for an instant estimate.

What is the average price of a Botox injection?

There is no single "per injection" price because injectors dose by units, not by needle stick. The more useful average is per unit ($10 to $25, national average about $15) and per area ($200 to $600). A typical first cosmetic visit treating one or two areas runs $300 to $700 all in. Ask every clinic to quote in units so you can compare apples to apples.

How much will 20 units of Botox cover?

Twenty units is a small-to-moderate dose. It comfortably covers one main area such as the frown lines between the brows, or a lighter forehead treatment, or both crow's feet. It is usually not enough to treat the entire upper face at once. At $10 to $25 per unit, 20 units costs roughly $200 to $500.

Botox cost without insurance

Cosmetic Botox is almost never covered by insurance, so nearly everyone pays out of pocket. Without insurance you pay the full per-unit rate. Ways to lower the cash price include the Allergan Allē rewards program (points toward future treatments), new-patient specials, buying during a clinic event, and choosing a high-volume medspa over a boutique dermatology office. Avoid the cheapest possible price from an unvetted injector, since under-dosing and poor technique cost more to fix.

Botox cost with insurance

Insurance can cover Botox when it is medically necessary rather than cosmetic. Covered uses include chronic migraine, severe underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis), cervical dystonia, overactive bladder, and some cases of TMJ or jaw clenching. For these, the medication is billed to insurance and you typically owe a copay or coinsurance after meeting your deductible. Cosmetic wrinkle treatment is not covered.

How much does a vial of Botox cost a provider?

A 100-unit vial of Botox Cosmetic costs a clinic roughly $400 to $700 wholesale from Allergan, plus the cost of the saline, needles, and the injector's time and overhead. That is why per-unit retail pricing of $10 to $25 is standard: it has to cover product, labor, and the clinic. A 50-unit vial is priced proportionally. Knowing the wholesale floor helps you spot pricing that is suspiciously cheap (possibly diluted or counterfeit) or unusually high.

Botox cost by city

Location is the second biggest price driver after units. Major coastal metros run high; the South and Midwest run lower.

Market	Typical per-unit price
New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco	$16 to $25
Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami	$12 to $18
Smaller metros and rural areas	$10 to $14

What else changes your price

Injector credentials. A board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon often charges more than a nurse injector, but technique matters for results.
Units needed. Stronger muscles need more units. Men usually need more than women.
Specials and memberships. Allē points, package deals, and loyalty pricing meaningfully lower the effective rate.

How to budget

For a realistic first-visit budget, estimate your areas, assume your local per-unit price, and add 10 to 15 percent of buffer in case your injector recommends a touch more for even results. Botox lasts about three to four months, so plan for three to four sessions a year if you want to maintain the effect. See how long Botox lasts and how many units you need to refine your estimate.

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