Foreign hospital beds cost up to twelve times more than a five-star hotel for uninsured travellers

In the tiny nation of Luxembourg, pictured, a night in a luxury hotel costs just $227 on average but a stay in hospital is 12 times more at $2645 per day. Photo / 123RF

Uninsured travellers could pay 12 times more for a bed in a foreign hospital compared to a five star hotel, new research has revealed.

The study looked at how much holidaymakers would have to pay if they had to stay in hospital overnight while abroad, compared to the average price of a night in a five-star hotel.

And it revealed that in the tiny nation of Luxembourg, a night in a luxury hotel costs just $227 on average but a stay in hospital is 12 times more at $2645 per day.

The research was conducted by personal finance website finder.com, which also found that the most expensive hospital bed in the world is in Monaco, where it will set uninsured travellers back $5024 per night.

This is almost seven times the price of a five-star hotel in the city-state, which is $748 per night on average.

Staying the night in a Spanish hospital would cost $645, in France it's $832 and in the USA it costs $937.

For those travelling to the UK without insurance or Ehic cover, a night in a British hospital would cost $822, making it the 23rd most expensive hospital bed in the world.

Jon Ostler, UK CEO at finder.com, said: "While most of us are lucky enough to avoid hospitals when abroad, the costs of staying overnight are eye watering – and this is before you take into account the cost of medicine and specialist treatment as well.

The most expensive hospital bed in the world is in Monaco, pictured, where it will set uninsured travellers back $5024 per night. Photo / 123RF

"It may seem like something that will never happen to us, but with travel insurance for a week in Europe costing potentially 952 times less than a week in a Monaco hospital ($36 vs $35,170), it really is a small price to pay for peace of mind. An uninsured stay in a foreign hospital can have a financial impact that could take years to recover from."

Top 10 most expensive hospital beds in the world (NZD)

1. Monaco: $5024
2. Luxembourg: $2645
3. Norway: $1958
4. Qatar: $1908
5. Switzerland: $1287
6. San Marino: $1233
7. Denmark: $1178
8. Ireland: $1172
9. United Arab Emirates: $1060
10. Netherlands: $1036