If your family is considering parenthood through surrogacy, you’re likely curious about what it costs. This number can vary greatly—but today, we are providing information about the general cost range of this process, and which elements affect the price. 

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Surrogate?

Surrogacy is a popular and well-regarded form of assisted reproduction. Due to the high demand and complex nature of surrogacy, there are fairly high costs associated with the process. However, there is not one concrete number in terms of surrogate cost. The price of your surrogacy experience will depend on several circumstances. 

Is Every Surrogate Cost the Same? 

Not at all. The average cost of surrogate services is a large ballpark number, and will depend on a number of factors. These include:

  • Location

Location plays a big role in surrogate cost. Due to the difference in legislation surrounding the procedure, your surrogate cost rates will be very different depending on what country, or even state you are in.  Surrogacy agreements are possible in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Of these three options, surrogacy typically costs the most in the United States. This is for two main reasons: health insurance costs, and differing laws. In the US, commercial surrogacy is legal and popular in many states. This type of surrogacy, which is not permitted in Canada or Mexico, allows for surrogates to receive financial compensation. This compensation is paid by the Intended Parents, and ranges from $30,000- $70,000, depending on individual circumstances. 

Even within a country, the average cost of surrogate services will vary greatly depending on city or location. For instance, surrogate cost in California is on the higher end of the scale. This is because surrogacy is popular in California. The high demand allows for surrogates to receive a large compensation. In other states, or in countries that only permit altruistic agreements, these costs will be lower or nonexistent. 

  • Your Surrogate

Certain surrogates receive higher compensation rates than others. For instance, more experienced surrogates will generally be paid more. Surrogates who work full-time may also receive higher pay to compensate for lost wages/work hours.

  • Type of Pregnancy

If your surrogate becomes pregnant with twins or multiples, her compensation package will generally be higher.

  • Your Unique Circumstances

Most agencies understand that families of all backgrounds and circumstances choose surrogacy. This is why the range of surrogacy pay rates can vary so greatly—much of it comes down to families’ individual circumstances, like employment status, finances, and place of residency. Some families may also need additional assisted reproductive services, like donated eggs and/or sperm, to achieve a successful surrogacy cycle. 

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we want our services to be as accessible to as many families who need us. That’s why we have several financing options for Parents with varying budgets. 

  • Your Agency

Most families choose to work with a reputable agency when embarking on a process as involved and complex as surrogacy. These agencies support you throughout your journey and help facilitate important steps of the process, like matching with a surrogate and navigating the legal end of things. These services require payment of an agency fee. Every agency will have different fee rates. 

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we understand what a large investment the overall surrogacy costs can be. That’s why we offer our own STRESS-FREE policy to our Intended Families, which is 100% unique to our agency and helps relieve some financial and emotional stress.

With STRESS-FREE, we allow families to hold off on paying the full agency fee until match confirmation. Payments are made in installments to a trust once your surrogate has been medically cleared to proceed with pregnancy.

Get in Touch Today

If you are ready for a conversation about what surrogacy might cost for your needs and circumstances, please email [email protected] or call (760) 438-2265. You can also register to become an Intended Parent with us. We are ready to support you during this exciting time, and thank you for including us in the story of your family.