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Creatinine & Kidney Function Test Cost in the Philippines [2026 Price Guide]

Creatinine & Kidney Function Test Cost in the Philippines [2026 Price Guide]

Quick Answer: A creatinine test costs ₱130 to ₱300 in the Philippines in 2026, and a full kidney function panel (BUN, creatinine, and uric acid) costs ₱300 to ₱600. Government hospital labs charge the least — creatinine for about ₱130-₱200 — while standalone clinical labs charge ₱200-₱300 and big chains and HMO-affiliated labs charge up to ₱350 per test. BUN (blood urea nitrogen) runs ₱140-₱300, uric acid runs ₱150-₱300, and eGFR is calculated free from your creatinine result — you do not pay extra for it. Ordering the kidney panel together is cheaper than buying each test one by one, and it is almost always included in annual checkup and executive packages. Senior citizens and PWDs get a 20% discount at most labs.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Your kidneys filter waste out of your blood every minute of the day, and a handful of cheap blood tests can tell you how well they are doing it. The most important of these is creatinine — a waste product from muscle activity that healthy kidneys clear efficiently. When creatinine climbs, it is one of the earliest signs that the kidneys are not filtering as they should. That is why creatinine, along with BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and uric acid, shows up on almost every annual physical, diabetes workup, and pre-surgery clearance in the Philippines.

The good news is that kidney function tests are among the most affordable lab tests you can get. A standalone creatinine costs ₱130 to ₱300 depending on the facility, and a complete kidney panel — BUN, creatinine, and uric acid together — runs ₱300 to ₱600. Government and hospital outpatient labs sit at the bottom of the range, standalone clinical labs in the middle, and the big diagnostic chains and HMO-affiliated labs at the top. This guide gives you the current 2026 price for each kidney test across every type of facility, explains what each number means, clears up the common confusion about eGFR, and answers the most-searched questions about kidney function testing.

Kidney Function Test Price Comparison by Lab

This is the fastest way to see what you will pay. Prices below are for a complete kidney panel (BUN, creatinine, and uric acid reported together).

Laboratory / FacilityKidney Panel PriceCreatinine (alone)Notes
Government hospital labs (e.g. PGH, JRRMMC)₱300 - ₱450₱130 - ₱200Lowest rates; subsidized
Philippine Red Cross₱350 - ₱500₱150 - ₱250Walk-in, no appointment
Standalone clinical labs₱350 - ₱550₱150 - ₱280Often the best value walk-in
Hi-Precision Diagnostics₱400 - ₱600₱200 - ₱300Nationwide chain, online results portal
Healthway Medical₱400 - ₱600₱200 - ₱300With in-house doctor consults
Hospital-based / HMO-affiliated labs₱500 - ₱700₱250 - ₱350Higher due to overhead

Even at the top of the range, a full kidney panel rarely costs more than ₱700 on its own. The smartest way to pay less is to get it inside a screening package, where it is bundled with CBC, FBS, lipid profile, and other tests at a far lower per-test cost.

What Is a Creatinine / Kidney Function Test?

A kidney function test is a blood test (sometimes paired with a urine test) that measures the waste products your kidneys are supposed to filter out. A small amount of blood is drawn from a vein in your arm, and the laboratory reports the following standard results:

  • Creatinine — a waste product from normal muscle breakdown. The kidneys clear it steadily, so a rising blood creatinine signals reduced kidney filtering.
  • BUN (blood urea nitrogen) — a waste product from protein breakdown. Read together with creatinine, it helps distinguish kidney problems from dehydration or other causes.
  • Uric acid — a waste product from the breakdown of purines (found in certain foods). High uric acid is tied to gout and can also reflect kidney function.
  • eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) — not a separate blood test but a number calculated from your creatinine result (plus age and sex) that estimates how much blood your kidneys filter per minute.

Together these numbers give your doctor a clear picture of your kidney health. The whole panel comes from a single blood draw, and results are usually ready within a few hours to one day.

Individual Kidney Tests and Their Cost

You can order each kidney test on its own, but it is almost always cheaper to buy the panel. Here is how the components price out individually across Philippine labs in 2026:

TestPrice RangeWhat It Measures
Creatinine₱130 - ₱300Kidney filtering (primary marker)
BUN (blood urea nitrogen)₱140 - ₱300Protein-waste clearance
Uric acid₱150 - ₱300Gout risk and kidney function
eGFRCalculated free with creatinineFiltration rate estimate
Complete kidney panel (BUN + creatinine + uric acid)₱300 - ₱600Full kidney screen

As the table shows, ordering BUN, creatinine, and uric acid separately can add up to more than the bundled kidney panel. Unless your doctor wants just one value (for example, a standalone creatinine before a contrast-dye scan), the complete panel is the better deal.

What Is eGFR and Does It Cost Extra?

This is the question that trips people up most. The eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is the single most useful number for staging kidney health — it tells you, roughly, what percentage of normal kidney filtering you have left. But it is not a separate test you pay for. The lab calculates it automatically from your creatinine result using a standard formula that factors in your age and sex.

In practice this means: if you order a creatinine test, your result slip will usually already include the eGFR at no extra charge. You do not need to ask for "eGFR" as a line item, and you should not be charged twice for it. An eGFR above 90 is generally normal; below 60 for three months or more suggests chronic kidney disease and warrants follow-up with a doctor.

Hi-Precision Creatinine and Kidney Panel Price

Many people search specifically for the Hi-Precision creatinine price, so here is the direct answer. A standalone creatinine test at Hi-Precision Diagnostics costs around ₱200 to ₱300, and a complete kidney panel (BUN, creatinine, uric acid) runs around ₱400 to ₱600. As one of the largest diagnostic chains in the Philippines, Hi-Precision offers walk-in service, a wide branch network across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and an online portal where you can view and download your results.

A few things worth knowing about Hi-Precision kidney-test pricing:

  • Exact prices vary slightly by branch, so confirm with your local branch before going.
  • BUN, creatinine, and uric acid are bundled into Hi-Precision's blood chemistry, annual physical, and executive packages, where the per-test cost drops well below standalone pricing.
  • Your creatinine result includes the calculated eGFR at no extra charge.
  • Senior citizens and PWDs are entitled to a 20% discount on the cash price.

For the full Hi-Precision menu beyond kidney tests, see our Hi-Precision price list guide, which covers CBC, blood chemistry, imaging, and executive packages.

Do You Need to Fast Before a Creatinine Test?

A standalone creatinine, BUN, or uric acid test does not strictly require fasting — these waste products are not affected by a single meal the way blood sugar is. You can have a creatinine test drawn at any time of day.

That said, kidney tests are rarely ordered alone. They are usually part of a wider chemistry panel that also includes fasting blood sugar (FBS) and a lipid profile, and those tests do need 8-12 hours of fasting. So in practice, when your kidney tests come bundled in a checkup package, you will be told to fast overnight and come in the morning anyway. For a heavy-protein-meal effect on BUN and uric acid, it is also sensible to avoid a large meat-heavy dinner the night before if your doctor is watching those two values closely.

When the Kidney Panel Is Bundled in a Package

Kidney tests are rarely the only reason someone visits a lab — they are usually a few lines in a larger checkup. The kidney panel is a standard component of:

  • Annual physical exam (APE) packages — bundled with CBC, urinalysis, FBS, lipid profile, and chest X-ray.
  • Executive checkup packages — included alongside a broader chemistry panel, thyroid, HbA1c, and imaging.
  • Diabetes and hypertension monitoring panels — creatinine and BUN are tracked regularly because both conditions damage the kidneys over time.
  • Pre-surgery and pre-contrast-dye clearance — a creatinine is almost always required before anesthesia or a CT scan with contrast.

Inside these packages, the per-test cost of the kidney panel drops well below its standalone price. If you need a creatinine plus a few other routine tests, a package is almost always cheaper than buying each à la carte. For the bigger picture on package pricing, see our guides to the annual physical exam cost and the executive checkup cost in the Philippines.

Where to Get the Cheapest Kidney Function Test

If cost is your only concern, the cheapest creatinine and kidney panel options in the Philippines are:

  1. Government hospital laboratories — facilities like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) charge ₱130-₱200 for creatinine and ₱300-₱450 for the full panel, the lowest rates in the country, thanks to government subsidy.
  2. Philippine Red Cross — ₱350-₱500 for the panel, walk-in with no appointment, available in major cities and many provincial chapters.
  3. Standalone community clinical labs — ₱350-₱550, often the best value among walk-in private labs, especially outside Metro Manila.
  4. Screening packages — the lowest effective price per test when you also need CBC, FBS, and other routine labs.

For most people getting a yearly checkup, the practical move is to take the kidney panel as part of a screening package rather than on its own.

What Is Included in the Price

A standard creatinine or kidney panel fee at a diagnostic center or laboratory typically includes:

  • Blood extraction (venipuncture) by a licensed medical technologist or phlebotomist
  • Laboratory processing of creatinine, BUN, and/or uric acid as ordered
  • The calculated eGFR printed alongside your creatinine result
  • An official result document validated by a licensed pathologist, with reference ranges for interpretation

Most walk-in diagnostic centers do not require a doctor's request for a routine kidney panel — you can simply walk in and ask for it. A doctor's order helps if you want your results interpreted in the context of diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease.

PhilHealth and HMO Coverage

Routine outpatient kidney function tests ordered purely for screening are generally not reimbursed by PhilHealth as a standalone service. However, the tests are covered in several situations:

  • PhilHealth Konsulta — registered members at accredited primary care facilities can access certain basic laboratory tests at no extra cost; coverage of creatinine depends on the facility's package.
  • Inpatient admission — kidney tests done during a hospital stay are bundled into the PhilHealth case rate for your diagnosis.
  • Dialysis and chronic kidney disease — PhilHealth has dedicated benefit packages for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis for members with kidney failure.

If you have an HMO through your employer, the kidney panel is almost always covered as part of the annual physical exam benefit, and a diagnostic creatinine ordered by an accredited doctor is typically covered with a Letter of Authorization (LOA). Because the tests are only a few hundred pesos, it is worth processing the HMO benefit rather than paying cash. Check your HMO card for accredited laboratories.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a creatinine test cost in the Philippines?

A creatinine test costs ₱130 to ₱300 in the Philippines in 2026, depending on the facility. Government hospital labs charge ₱130-₱200, standalone clinical labs charge ₱150-₱280, and large diagnostic chains and HMO-affiliated labs charge up to ₱350. Your creatinine result includes the calculated eGFR at no extra charge. Senior citizens and PWDs get a 20% discount at most labs, and the test is cheaper per test inside a kidney panel or checkup package.

How much is a kidney function test (BUN, creatinine, uric acid)?

A complete kidney function panel — BUN, creatinine, and uric acid reported together — costs ₱300 to ₱600 in the Philippines in 2026. Government hospital labs charge ₱300-₱450, the Philippine Red Cross charges ₱350-₱500, standalone clinical labs charge ₱350-₱550, and the big chains and HMO-affiliated labs charge up to ₱700. Ordering the panel is cheaper than buying BUN, creatinine, and uric acid separately.

Does eGFR cost extra?

No. The eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is not a separate test you pay for — the lab calculates it automatically from your creatinine result using your age and sex. When you order a creatinine test, the eGFR is usually printed on the same result slip at no extra charge. It is the most useful single number for staging kidney health: above 90 is generally normal, and below 60 sustained for three months suggests chronic kidney disease.

Do I need to fast before a creatinine or kidney test?

A standalone creatinine, BUN, or uric acid test does not strictly require fasting, since these waste products are not affected by a single meal. However, kidney tests are usually bundled with a fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile in a checkup package, both of which need 8-12 hours of fasting — so in practice you will likely be told to fast overnight and come in the morning. If your doctor is watching BUN or uric acid closely, avoid a heavy meat-heavy meal the night before.

What is the difference between BUN and creatinine?

Both BUN and creatinine are waste products the kidneys filter out, but they come from different sources. Creatinine comes from muscle breakdown and is the more reliable, steady marker of kidney filtering. BUN (blood urea nitrogen) comes from protein breakdown and is more affected by diet, dehydration, and other factors. Doctors read them together — the BUN-to-creatinine ratio helps distinguish a true kidney problem from dehydration or other non-kidney causes.

Where is the cheapest place to get a creatinine test?

Government hospital laboratories such as PGH offer the cheapest creatinine at ₱130-₱200, followed by the Philippine Red Cross and standalone community clinical labs at ₱150-₱280. The lowest effective cost, though, comes from getting the kidney panel inside a screening package when you also need other routine tests like CBC, FBS, and a lipid profile.

When should I get my kidneys checked?

You should get a kidney function test at least once a year as part of an annual physical, and more often if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney disease, or take medications that affect the kidneys. Creatinine is also required before surgery, before a CT scan with contrast dye, and as part of monitoring for anyone already diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Early kidney decline has no symptoms, which is why routine testing matters.

Conclusion

Kidney function tests are among the cheapest and most valuable lab tests you can get in the Philippines — ₱130 to ₱300 for a standalone creatinine, and ₱300 to ₱600 for a full panel of BUN, creatinine, and uric acid that screens for early kidney trouble. Government and hospital outpatient labs sit at the bottom of the range, standalone labs in the middle, and chains like Hi-Precision at ₱400-₱600 for the panel. Remember that the all-important eGFR comes free with your creatinine, so you never pay extra for it. For the best value, take the kidney panel inside an annual physical or executive checkup package, and have a doctor interpret the numbers — especially if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.

For more on diagnostic pricing, see our guides to blood test costs in the Philippines, the full Hi-Precision price list, and the pre-employment medical exam cost.

Ready to find a laboratory near you? Find a clinic on ClinicFinderPH to compare creatinine and kidney panel prices, locations, and available tests.

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