$800 per year. That’s what a lot of contact lens wearers are spending on vision care once they add up the annual exam, the lens supply, the contact solution, and the backup pair of glasses they keep around for sick days. Most of them could tell you roughly what their lenses cost — but ask them to add in everything else and they’re usually off by $200–$300.
The American Optometric Association reports that roughly 75% of Americans require some form of vision correction. For most of them, vision care is a recurring expense that rarely gets audited — until someone runs the 10-year numbers and starts reconsidering their options.
Here’s what different types of patients actually spend annually, and what those numbers look like stretched across a decade.
Annual Spending by Patient Type
| Patient Type | Annual Eye Care Cost | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| No correction needed (age <40) | $80–$150 | Exam every 1–2 years, amortized |
| Glasses only (simple Rx) | $300–$600 | Annual exam + new glasses every 2 years |
| Glasses (progressive, annual replacement) | $500–$900 | Annual exam + premium glasses each year |
| Daily disposable contacts + glasses | $500–$900 | Annual exam + contacts + backup glasses |
| Monthly/biweekly contacts + glasses | $400–$750 | Annual exam + contacts + annual solution + backup glasses |
| Post-LASIK (5+ years out) | $100–$200 | Biennial exam, no ongoing correction cost |
| Cataract/IOL patient (standard, 5+ years out) | $150–$300 | Annual exam, usually minimal Rx needed |
Contact lens wearers who maintain a backup pair of glasses — which is basically everyone — often land at $500–$900/year once everything’s counted. That number surprises people.
The 10-Year Cost Comparison: Glasses vs. Contacts vs. LASIK
This is the calculation that makes a lot of people take LASIK seriously for the first time.
Assumptions: 30-year-old with –3.5D myopia and mild astigmatism, employer vision plan with typical benefits.
Glasses-only path (10 years):
- New glasses every 2 years: $250–$400/pair with insurance allowance
- Annual comprehensive exam: $10–$30 copay
- Estimated 10-year total: $3,500–$6,500
Contact lens path (10 years):
- Daily disposable lenses: $400–$600/year
- Annual contact exam: $30–$60
- Annual solution: $100–$150 (if not daily)
- Backup glasses: $200–$300 every 3 years
- Estimated 10-year total: $4,500–$8,500
LASIK path (10 years):
- LASIK surgery (custom, bilateral): $5,000–$6,000
- Annual/biennial exams post-surgery: $100–$200 every other year
- Occasional readers at 45+ if presbyopia develops: $30–$80/pair
- Estimated 10-year total: $5,800–$7,500
LASIK’s upfront cost front-loads the 10-year comparison. By year 5, contacts and LASIK are usually running neck-and-neck in cumulative cost. After year 7, LASIK patients are paying almost nothing annually while contact lens wearers keep spending $500–$900/year. Over 15–20 years, the lifetime cost advantage of LASIK is substantial — for patients who’d otherwise be heavy contact lens users.
The exception: glasses-only wearers who replace frames every 3 years and skip contacts. Their $3,500–$6,500 total is actually competitive with LASIK over 10 years, making the case for surgery less compelling on pure cost grounds.
How Insurance Changes the Equation
With vision insurance:
- Exam: $10–$30 copay vs. $100–$175 without
- Frames: $0–$50 out of pocket with $150–$200 allowance
- Lenses: $0–$20 for standard single-vision or progressive (up to benefit limit)
- Annual premium cost: $60–$120/year (employer or marketplace)
For most glasses wearers who update their prescription annually, vision insurance pays for itself. For contact lens wearers who order lenses online, the math is tighter — the contact lens allowance ($100–$150) may not fully cover the premium cost after you factor in out-of-network ordering.
Without vision insurance:
- Exam: $100–$175
- Glasses: $200–$500
- Contacts (daily disposables, year supply): $400–$600
Consider a vision savings account or direct-pay vision plan (EyeMed or VSP individual) if your employer doesn’t offer benefits.
Strategies to Reduce Annual Vision Care Costs
Use your FSA/HSA. Vision care qualifies across the board — exams, glasses, contacts, LASIK. That reduces your effective cost by your marginal tax rate, typically 22–32% for most working adults.
Shop contact lenses online. 1-800 Contacts, Clearly, WebEyeCare, and Costco typically run 20–40% below what your optometrist charges for the same brand. Always use a current, valid prescription.
Buy backup glasses online. A second pair from Zenni or EyeBuyDirect runs $30–$70. That means you’re not wearing contacts 7 days a week — which lowers your annual lens consumption and infection risk.
Get the comprehensive exam, not just a refraction. A refraction-only visit updates your prescription but doesn’t check eye health. The NEI estimates that half of vision loss in the US is preventable with early detection. Skipping the health exam to save $30–$40 is not a smart trade.
Sleeping in monthly lenses to stretch the replacement schedule raises infection risk significantly and can cause corneal neovascularization — which may disqualify you from future LASIK. If you’re wearing lenses overnight to save money, you’re trading a small lens cost for an elevated risk of corneal complications and potentially closing off surgical options. Don’t do it.
See also: Eye Exam Cost for exam pricing details, and LASIK Eye Surgery Cost if the 10-year math is starting to look interesting.
Bottom Line
Americans spend $300–$900/year on vision care depending on correction type, with contact lens wearers frequently at the high end. Over a decade, the cumulative cost of glasses or contacts approaches or exceeds LASIK for many patients. FSA/HSA funds, online lens ordering, and vision insurance together can cut annual out-of-pocket costs 30–50%. The best first step: actually add up what you’re spending now. Most people are surprised by the total.