How much does a DEXA scan cost in Sydney?

Prices for a DEXA body composition scan in Sydney run from about $99 to $350. Most single scans sit between $99 and $185, and packages of two or three scans run from around $210 to $315. Ours is $149 for an initial scan, $99 for a review scan, and $219 for the two together, and you can book a DEXA scan in Sydney with us in Alexandria.

That range is wide enough to be confusing, so here is what actually sits behind it, and one situation where you should not pay for a scan at all.

Sydney DEXA scan prices compared

Prices checked 20 October 2026, taken from each clinic's own website.

Clinic	Single scan	What you get
STRIVE, Alexandria	$149 initial $99 review	Results explained by an Accredited Sports Dietitian in the same visit. PDF report emailed. Review scans compared with your previous results. Duo Pack $219.
Clinic in Double Bay	$99	Scan only. Optional GP review charged separately.
Clinic in Mona Vale	$115	Scan only. $185 with a consult. Two scans $210.
Clinic in Castle Hill	$149	Initial scan.
Clinic in Miranda	$149	Initial scan with a results consultation.
Clinic in Western Sydney	$160	Scan.
Clinic in Leichhardt	$175	Scan and consult. Two scans months apart $315.

Prices change, so check with the clinic before booking. This table compares advertised prices only and is not a recommendation of any provider.

Why the same test costs different amounts

Three things move the price.

The first is who reads it. A scan at a radiology practice gives you accurate measurements and a report. A scan at a clinic where an Accredited Sports Dietitian sits with you afterwards costs more because you are buying an appointment as well as an image. Whether that is worth the difference depends on whether you already know what to do with the numbers.

The second is what the scanner is set up to do. Bone densitometry and body composition are different protocols on the same machine, and a practice geared for one is not always geared for the other. Some providers report only total body composition without the regional breakdown, which is less useful for anyone tracking a specific limb after injury.

The third is the follow up structure. A single scan tells you where you are today, which is not very interesting on its own. The comparison scan is where the value sits, and providers price that differently. Some charge full price twice. We charge $99 for the review scan, which is why the duo pack exists.

When you should not pay us anything

If what you actually need is a bone density scan because of osteoporosis risk, rather than a body composition scan for training, there is a good chance Medicare will cover it and you should go that route instead.

Bone densitometry attracts a Medicare rebate in defined circumstances, which generally include being over a certain age or having a condition or medication associated with bone loss, and after a minimal trauma fracture. The criteria change from time to time and they are specific, so the right move is to ask your GP whether you qualify. If you do, a referral to a radiology practice will cost you far less than we charge, and the report goes back to your doctor where it belongs.

We say this to people on the phone regularly. It is worth saying in public too.

What should be included for the money

Before booking anywhere, ask what you get. A reasonable inclusion list looks like this:

Total and regional body fat, lean mass and bone mineral content, broken down by arm, leg and trunk. Bone mineral density with a comparison to reference data. Visceral fat estimate. A copy of the report you can keep. Same scanner and same protocol for any repeat scan, because comparing across machines introduces error you cannot correct for.

If a provider cannot tell you which scanner they use, that last point is worth pressing on.

How long it takes and what to wear

The scan itself runs about 20 minutes. Wear activewear or light cotton with no metal, so nothing with zips, underwire, buttons or metal logos, since those show up and interfere with the measurement.

Come in under conditions you can repeat. Fasted where practical, before training rather than after, and not straight off a long flight. The scan is sensitive enough that a very full stomach or a heavy session beforehand will nudge the result.

Radiation dose for a whole body scan is very low, a small fraction of a chest X-ray, but it is still ionising radiation, so DEXA is not done during pregnancy.

The number is not the point

The most common mistake we see is people buying a scan, getting a body fat percentage, and then having nowhere to take it. A percentage on its own does not tell you whether to eat more, eat less, or change nothing.

What makes it useful is comparing two scans taken under the same conditions and reading them against what you were doing in between. That is why we include the consultation, and it is also why we have written about how often a repeat scan is actually worth booking, which is less often than most people assume.

If you are still deciding whether you need a DEXA at all, our comparison of DEXA against the InBody at your gym will probably settle it, and when a DEXA scan is most useful covers the specific situations where it changes a decision.

You can see current pricing and book on our DEXA scan page. We are at 19/112 McEvoy St in Alexandria, about ten minutes from the Sydney CBD.

For the fuelling side of things, the Essentials of Sports Nutrition guide covers what to do with the result once you have it.