How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost per Month? Private Pay and Coverage Basics
Nursing-home care often costs thousands of dollars per month, and national medians can exceed $10,000 for a private room. The amount a family actually pays depends on location, room type, payer, covered services and whether the stay is short-term skilled rehabilitation or long-term custodial care.
CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey reported national medians of $9,581 per month for a semi-private room and $10,798 per month for a private room.
Why nursing-home prices vary
- state and local labor costs;
- private vs semi-private room;
- short-term rehab vs long-term residence;
- clinical complexity;
- payer contracts;
- ancillary services and outside providers.
Daily rate vs monthly estimate
Nursing homes often bill by the day. A “monthly” figure may simply multiply a daily rate by 30 or 30.4 days, so ask how the facility actually bills and whether the rate changes in a 31-day month.
See Nursing Home Daily Rates vs Monthly Quotes.
Does Medicare pay for nursing-home care?
Medicare does not generally pay for long-term custodial nursing-home residence. Medicare Part A may cover a limited skilled-nursing-facility stay when eligibility requirements are met. Coverage is tied to skilled care, not simply to living in a nursing home.
What Medicaid can cover
Medicaid is the major public payer for long-term nursing-facility care for people who meet their state’s financial and functional eligibility rules. Eligibility, income treatment, asset rules and patient-pay amounts vary by state.
For a starting point, see Does Medicaid Pay for Nursing Home Care? Eligibility & Applying.
Private-pay costs families should clarify
- base daily room rate;
- therapy not covered by insurance;
- physician or specialist charges;
- pharmacy charges;
- transportation;
- personal supplies;
- private-duty aides;
- bed-hold charges during hospitalization;
- deposits or advance-payment requirements.
Short-term rehab bills are different
A person may enter a skilled nursing facility after a hospital stay for rehabilitation and later transition to private pay, Medicaid or another payer if they remain after skilled coverage ends. Ask exactly what event changes the payer and what the private rate would be.
How to compare two nursing-home quotes
Compare the same room type and the same payer status. Ask whether the quoted amount is the full private-pay rate or a temporary skilled-rehab rate. Request a sample billing statement or itemized fee schedule if available.
Questions to ask the business office
- What is the current private-pay daily rate?
- Is the room private or semi-private?
- Which services are billed separately?
- When can the rate change?
- What happens when Medicare or insurance coverage ends?
- Does the facility participate in Medicaid?
- What deposits or advance payments are required?
Related NHP guides
- How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost Without Medicaid?
- Private Pay Nursing Home Care: Meaning & How It Works
- What Happens When Medicare Stops Paying for Rehab?
If you are ready to compare local options, browse senior-care communities and confirm each facility’s current rate, payer participation and admission requirements directly. If you are still sorting out the right level of care or what to ask next, Get Help Finding Care can help you organize the decision.
Sources
- CareScout — 2025 Cost of Care Survey
- Medicare — Skilled nursing facility care
- Medicaid — Nursing facilities
Reviewed October 24, 2026. Costs and coverage vary. Verify current rates and payer eligibility directly with the facility and relevant program.
If you are comparing care levels as well as prices, also review assisted living costs and memory care costs. For long-term-care payment rules, see Medicare vs Medicaid for Long-Term Care and Medicaid nursing-home eligibility.
