Ozempic vs Mounjaro: the cost of two diabetes drugs
In cash, Ozempic 1 mg costs $349 a month and Mounjaro $499 at any dose; on Medicare the gap opens in 2027.
Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are both weekly injections for type 2 diabetes, and both are covered by Medicare Part D, but their prices diverge in each channel. Paying cash, Ozempic costs $349 a month up to 1 mg and $499 at 2 mg, through NovoCare Pharmacy or TrumpRx, while Mounjaro costs $499 at every strength through Lilly. List prices are close, $1,028 against $1,112, and pharmacies pay about $996 and $1,077 according to NADAC. On Medicare in 2026 both reach the $2,100 cap under the standard benefit. In 2027 Ozempic moves to its negotiated price of $274, which brings the yearly share to about $1,347, while Mounjaro, with no negotiated price, stays near the new $2,400 cap. Neither drug is in the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, since both are approved for diabetes, the use Part D already covers.
Difference over 2026
$1,800
Ozempic 1 mg costs less
Your price per month
- Ozempic 1 mg$349
Self-pay price published by NovoCare Pharmacy / TrumpRx, the same through both.
- Mounjaro 7.5 mg$499
Self-pay price published by LillyDirect / TrumpRx, the same through both.
List price per month
- Ozempic$1,028
- Mounjaro$1,112
$4,188 against $5,988 a year. Estimate only, not medical advice: switching drugs is a decision for your prescriber. Method
Prices read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and data
Cash: a fixed gap until 2 mg
The self-pay grids are simple to set side by side. Up to Ozempic 1 mg, Mounjaro costs $150 more a month, $1,800 a year. At Ozempic 2 mg the two are level at $499. A new Ozempic patient also pays $199 for the first two fills until December 31, 2026; Mounjaro has no starter price.
Medicare: level in 2026, apart in 2027
At list price either drug costs more than $2,100 over a year at the 25% coinsurance, so under the standard benefit both cost the full cap in 2026. The 2027 picture is different: the negotiated semaglutide price applies to Ozempic from January 1, and the yearly share drops to about $1,347, against about $2,400 for Mounjaro. That is a difference of $1,053 for the year for a person whose plan follows the standard design.
Not a substitution table
The two drugs have different molecules, doses and evidence, and they are not interchangeable at the pharmacy. Price can be one of the things you raise with your prescriber, not the reason to switch on your own.