What is the cheapest medication for depression and anxiety?

By average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (calendar year 2024), the lowest-cost option among the antidepressant medications listed here is Citalopram HBr at $0.1178. That is a cost figure only — the right medicine for you is a clinical decision.

What does treating depression and anxiety cost on the NHS in England?

In England, an NHS patient pays a flat £9.90 per dispensed prescription item (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026), frozen) — the same charge for any drug, whatever it costs the NHS — or nothing at all with a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (£114.50/year cap, worth it above 11 items/year) or an exemption. NHS prescriptions are free outright in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Why such a wide US cost range for depression and anxiety?

Because the medicines used span older low-cost generics and newer branded drugs. The cheapest (Citalopram HBr, $0.1178/dose) and priciest (Mirtazapine, $0.464/dose) here differ on the US per-dose measure — yet in England the patient pays the same £9.90 for either.

Depression and anxiety: Medication Cost, US vs UK

Depression and anxiety are commonly treated with antidepressants — SSRIs, SNRIs and other agents. Most are low-cost generics in Medicare Part D.

How much do antidepressant medications cost in the US vs the UK?

Depression and anxiety are commonly treated with antidepressants — SSRIs, SNRIs and other agents. Most are low-cost generics in Medicare Part D. On average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (calendar year 2024, CMS), the options range from $0.1178 (Citalopram HBr) to $0.464 (Mirtazapine); the most-prescribed is Trazodone HCl at $0.1467. In England, an NHS patient pays a flat £9.90 per item for any of them (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026)). The two figures are different measures and are not converted. Information only — not medical advice.

Source:CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug·as of calendar year 2024updated yearly (last: 25 June 2026)

Not medical advice. The figures on this page are drawn unchanged from public government datasets for general information only. They are not price quotes and not a substitute for professional advice. What you actually pay depends on your country, pharmacy, insurance, manufacturer, dose and region. Never start, stop or switch a medication on cost grounds without a licensed pharmacist or clinician.

The US figure is Medicare Part D PROGRAM spending per dosage unit (in US dollars), not a cash price; the UK figure is the patient's flat NHS charge per item (in pounds). They measure different things in different currencies and are shown side by side, never converted into one another.

Cheapest by US spend

Citalopram HBr

$0.1178 avg Medicare Part D spend per dose

Priciest by US spend

Mirtazapine

$0.464 avg Medicare Part D spend per dose

Depression and anxiety — antidepressant medications: average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (cheapest first) vs flat NHS England charge (CMS, calendar year 2024; NHSBSA/NHS England, 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026))
Drug	US per dose	England patient	2024 US claims
Citalopram HBr	$0.1178	£9.90	6,741,609
Trazodone HCl	$0.1467	£9.90	18,424,765
Sertraline HCl	$0.1539	£9.90	16,148,462
Fluoxetine HCl	$0.1629	£9.90	7,481,805
Escitalopram Oxalate	$0.1903	£9.90	12,685,003
Venlafaxine HCl ER	$0.3469	£9.90	5,423,191
Duloxetine HCl	$0.3506	£9.90	13,094,360
Bupropion XL	$0.4038	£9.90	6,831,216
Mirtazapine	$0.464	£9.90	8,338,476

In England, every one of these costs the patient the same £9.90 per item — capped by a £114.50/year Prepayment Certificate and free with an exemption (and free outright in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Compare an individual medicine

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest medication for depression and anxiety?: By average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (calendar year 2024), the lowest-cost option among the antidepressant medications listed here is Citalopram HBr at $0.1178. That is a cost figure only — the right medicine for you is a clinical decision.
What does treating depression and anxiety cost on the NHS in England?: In England, an NHS patient pays a flat £9.90 per dispensed prescription item (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026), frozen) — the same charge for any drug, whatever it costs the NHS — or nothing at all with a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (£114.50/year cap, worth it above 11 items/year) or an exemption. NHS prescriptions are free outright in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Why such a wide US cost range for depression and anxiety?: Because the medicines used span older low-cost generics and newer branded drugs. The cheapest (Citalopram HBr, $0.1178/dose) and priciest (Mirtazapine, $0.464/dose) here differ on the US per-dose measure — yet in England the patient pays the same £9.90 for either.

Talk to a clinician about depression and anxiety

A GeraClinic clinician can review your treatment, explain lower-cost options where clinically appropriate, and issue or renew a prescription online — without travelling to a clinic.

Talk to a GeraClinic clinician All conditions

Contains public sector information published by U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and licensed under the U.S. Government Works / Public Domain. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (calendar year 2024, published 2026-06-25).

Contains public sector information published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), NHS England & DHSC and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS prescription charges (England) — NHSBSA / NHS England / DHSC (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026), published 2026-04-01).