Mounjaro costs $499 a month self-pay. Ozempic costs $349 at the lower doses. That is a $150 gap at those doses[3][5]. At Ozempic’s 2 mg dose, the gap is gone[5]. The rest of this page is what changes that arithmetic.
Two molecules, one condition
Mounjaro is tirzepatide, which acts on two gut-hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1[1]. Ozempic is semaglutide, which acts on GLP-1 alone[2]. Both labels cover blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes[1][2]. Mounjaro’s label also covers children 10 and older[1].
Each label adds heart protection in type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro’s covers adults at high cardiovascular risk[1]. Ozempic’s covers adults with established heart disease[2]. Ozempic’s alone adds a kidney indication for chronic kidney disease[2]. Weight loss is on neither label.
Price by stage of treatment
| Stage | Mounjaro | Ozempic | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| First two months | $499 | $199 (new patients, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg) | $300 |
| Ozempic up to 1 mg | $499 | $349 | $150 |
| Ozempic at 2 mg | $499 | $499 | None |
Mounjaro starts at 2.5 mg and rises by 2.5 mg steps, at least four weeks apart, to 15 mg[1]. Ozempic starts at 0.25 mg, moves to 0.5 mg, then to 1 mg and 2 mg if needed[2]. So Mounjaro’s bill is flat while Ozempic’s moves with the dose.
The units differ. Lilly’s card terms define a Mounjaro month as 28 days and up to 4 pens[4]. Novo Nordisk defines an Ozempic month as one box holding one pen[5]. The single figures for each brand are in Mounjaro cost and Ozempic cost.
What the head-to-head trial found
SURPASS-2 randomly assigned 1,879 adults with type 2 diabetes[6]. They got Mounjaro at 5, 10 or 15 mg, or semaglutide 1 mg, for 40 weeks[6]. Semaglutide is the drug in Ozempic. The trial was open-label and funded by Lilly[6].
HbA1c fell 2.01, 2.24 and 2.30 points on the three tirzepatide doses[6]. It fell 1.86 points on semaglutide[6]. Weight loss was greater on tirzepatide by 1.9, 3.6 and 5.5 kg[6]. Nausea hit 17 to 22% on tirzepatide and 18% on semaglutide[6].
With insurance
| Card term | Mounjaro | Ozempic |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as little as | $25 | $25 |
| Savings cap | $150 per 1-month fill | $100 a month |
| Yearly or term limit | $1,950 a year, 13 fills | Up to 48 months |
| Plan does not cover it | Pay as low as $499 a month | No card price; self-pay applies |
With a covering commercial plan, each card can cut a fill to $25[4][5]. The caps differ. Once a cap is reached, the plan copay returns. Lilly’s card also works when a commercial plan excludes Mounjaro[4]. Save on Ozempic prints no card price for a plan that excludes it[5].
Medicare plans list both drugs widely. Enrollment-weighted Part D coverage of injectable tirzepatide reached 92.9% in late 2024[7]. Injectable semaglutide stayed above 90% from 2021[7]. By then, 83.2% of covering plans required prior authorization for tirzepatide[7]. For semaglutide it was 83.6%[7]. Neither card works with Medicare[4][5]. The Mounjaro detail is in does Medicare cover Mounjaro.
Against compounded versions
Compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide are not Mounjaro or Ozempic. They are pharmacy preparations, not FDA-approved products. Their monthly prices are on the tirzepatide price board and the semaglutide price board. How the two compounded markets compare is in tirzepatide vs semaglutide cost.
Ozempic’s older rival is set against it in Trulicity vs Ozempic. For a fee-inclusive monthly total on any quote, use the all-in monthly calculator.