Tylenol 3 tablets usually cost between $10 and $35 per bottle in the U.S., depending on strength, quantity, insurance, and pharmacy pricing.
If your doctor has suggested Tylenol with codeine, often called Tylenol 3, the next thought is almost always money: how much the prescription will run at the counter, whether insurance helps, and what you can do if you are paying cash. The name sounds simple, yet the price for Tylenol 3 can change a lot from one person to another.
Tylenol 3 is the well-known short name for a tablet that combines 300 mg of acetaminophen with 30 mg of codeine. It is an opioid pain medicine, so you only get it with a prescription, and pharmacies handle it under controlled-substance rules. The brand Tylenol with Codeine #3 has been discontinued in many markets, but generic acetaminophen/codeine tablets with the same strengths remain common. This guide focuses on what those tablets usually cost and how to keep that bill as low as you safely can.
How Much Are Tylenol 3? Price Ranges At A Glance
When you ask “How Much Are Tylenol 3?” there is no single number that fits every pharmacy or health plan. Still, public price tools give a decent sense of the range. GoodRx data for generic acetaminophen/codeine shows that common fills can drop to the $10–$30 range with coupons, while average retail prices for the same quantities sit closer to the $30–$40 bracket before any discounts.
The table below groups those ballpark prices so you can see how quantity and discount programs change the bill. These examples reflect U.S. cash prices for generic acetaminophen 300 mg / codeine 30 mg tablets, not the discontinued brand Tylenol with Codeine #3.
| Quantity And Type | Example Source | Approximate Cash Price Range (USD)* |
|---|---|---|
| 30 generic tablets, small retail pharmacy | Walk-in, no discount card | $30–$40 before discounts |
| 30 generic tablets, big-box pharmacy | Store discount program | $20–$35 before extra coupons |
| 30 generic tablets with coupon | GoodRx style coupon pricing | About $10–$25 with coupon applied |
| 90 generic tablets, local pharmacy | Cash price, no coupon | $70–$110 total, lower per-tablet cost |
| 90 generic tablets with coupon | Discount card plus pharmacy deal | $35–$80 total, depending on chain |
| Mail-order 90-day fill | Insurance mail-order benefit | One co-pay, often $10–$40 |
| Online home delivery offer | GoodRx partner pharmacy | Listed “as low as” about $27 plus fees |
*These numbers are examples, not quotes. Real prices change by region, pharmacy chain, and time.
The big takeaway: once you move from full retail pricing to generic tablets plus coupons or insurance, the answer to “How Much Are Tylenol 3?” often drops from many tens of dollars toward the low tens of dollars for a short course.
What Tylenol 3 Actually Is And Why That Matters For Cost
Tylenol 3 is a specific strength blend of two medicines: acetaminophen for pain and fever relief, and codeine, an opioid that boosts pain control. In tablet form, the classic Tylenol 3 dose contains 300 mg of acetaminophen and 30 mg of codeine phosphate. The official U.S. label for acetaminophen and codeine tablets lists this 300/30 mg strength among the standard options.
Because codeine is an opioid, these tablets fall under controlled-substance rules. The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s DailyMed acetaminophen and codeine tablet label explains that they carry boxed warnings for addiction, misuse, and life-threatening breathing problems. That kind of risk profile shapes how doctors prescribe the drug, how long a supply lasts, and how tightly pharmacies track each refill. All of that feeds into your final cost, because the rules can limit how many tablets you get per fill and which pharmacies will stock them.
Outside the United States, many patients know the exact Tylenol with Codeine No. 3 brand tablet instead of a generic. In Canada, for example, Tylenol with Codeine No. 3 tablets once carried a specific Drug Identification Number (DIN), and regulatory records now show that this brand entry was cancelled while other acetaminophen/codeine products remain on the market. That mix of brands and generics changes price comparisons from one country to another.
Why Tylenol 3 Prices Vary So Much
Brand Name Versus Generic Tablets
When you pay for Tylenol 3, you are almost always paying for a generic acetaminophen/codeine tablet, not a current brand-name Tylenol with Codeine #3 bottle. GoodRx notes that the Tylenol #3 brand is no longer available, while generic acetaminophen/codeine tablets still are. Generics usually cost less because several manufacturers compete, and insurance plans tend to place them on lower tiers with smaller co-pays.
If a pharmacy does have a branded version in stock from older supply chains or parallel markets, that label often sits on a higher price shelf. Even when the drug inside is the same combination of acetaminophen and codeine, the brand name can raise the list price. Asking for the generic wording “acetaminophen/codeine 300/30 mg” rather than “Tylenol 3” signals that you are open to the lower-priced option.
Country Rules And Pharmacy Practice
Tylenol 3 cost also depends on where you live. In the United States, acetaminophen/codeine tablets are prescription-only and classified as a Schedule III controlled substance on many labels. Prescribers must follow federal and state rules about how long each prescription can last, whether refills are allowed, and how often they can renew therapy. Those limits affect how many co-pays you pay across a year.
In Canada and some other countries, public and private drug plans may pay a portion of acetaminophen/codeine costs. That can turn a fairly high retail price into a small flat fee at the pharmacy for eligible patients, while others without coverage pay full cash price. Different tax rules, mark-up limits, and dispensing fee caps all feed into the final bill, so “How Much Are Tylenol 3?” in one country may have no direct link to the number you would hear in another.
Strength, Quantity, And Dosing Pattern
The same tablet strength can carry different list prices depending on how many pills you get at once. A small bottle of 20 or 30 tablets often costs more per pill than a larger 90-tablet supply. GoodRx also points out that many drugs cost less per month when filled as a 90-day supply through certain pharmacies or mail-order programs. That pattern often holds for acetaminophen/codeine as well, as long as your doctor, insurer, and local rules allow a longer fill.
Dose changes can shift cost too. Some prescribers start with a lower strength (such as 300/15 mg) and move to 300/30 mg only if needed. The tablet price for different strengths can be similar, so needing the higher codeine strength does not always change the bill much. The main driver is how many tablets you end up using per day and how long you stay on the medicine.
Insurance Design And Pharmacy Networks
If you have health insurance, the price you pay often comes from your plan’s drug list rather than the sticker on the shelf. Many plans place generic acetaminophen/codeine on a low tier, so co-pays can land near $5–$20 per fill. Others treat opioid combinations more cautiously and keep them on higher tiers, which raises the co-pay or coinsurance portion.
Networks matter as well. The same Tylenol 3 prescription might cost one amount at a preferred chain, a higher amount at an out-of-network pharmacy, and a totally different figure through a mail-order partner. The base list price may be similar in the background, but negotiated rates and dispensing fees spread the out-of-pocket cost out in different ways.
Coupons, Discount Cards, And Telehealth Offers
Price tools such as GoodRx sit on top of that system. They publish reference prices for generic acetaminophen/codeine and give printable or app-based coupons to bring cash prices closer to an insurer’s negotiated rate. GoodRx’s own page for acetaminophen/codeine mentions coupon prices as low as around $27 from certain pharmacies, compared with higher average retail prices.
Some telehealth services bundle a short course of acetaminophen/codeine with an online visit and mail-order delivery. In those offers, the total you see often combines visit fee plus drug cost, so the part that reflects the Tylenol 3 itself may be smaller than the full figure, yet you still feel the full package price in your budget.
How Insurance Changes What You Pay
The same bottle of Tylenol 3 can feel cheap or expensive depending on how your health plan handles it. GoodRx notes that generic acetaminophen/codeine is covered by most Medicare and insurance plans, but that coupons or cash prices can sometimes land lower than the insured rate. That means you may face a choice at the counter between running the prescription through insurance or using a discount card instead.
Common Out-Of-Pocket Patterns
- Low-tier generic co-pay: Some plans list acetaminophen/codeine as a first-tier generic. In that case, you might owe a flat $5–$15 per fill for a typical 30-tablet bottle.
- Higher-tier or deductible plans: With a high-deductible plan or a higher tier, the plan might cover a percentage of the price or nothing until you meet the deductible. During that time, you can see bills in the $30–$60 range, similar to retail prices.
- Medicare Part D: Many Part D plans cover generic acetaminophen/codeine, but co-pays vary widely between plans and pharmacies. Discount cards may still beat those co-pays for some fills, so it pays to check both options.
- No insurance at all: If you pay cash and skip coupons, you face the full retail price, which often sits at the top of the ranges in the first table.
When cost is a strain, ask the pharmacy staff to run the claim both through insurance and through a discount card. They can usually show you both figures, and you can choose whichever total is lower. Just be sure to keep all your caregivers aware of each opioid prescription you fill, even if you pay cash, so nobody underestimates your overall exposure.
Ways To Lower Tylenol 3 Cost Safely
Cutting corners with a medicine that contains codeine can lead to real harm, so any money-saving move has to keep safety first. The official label stresses that acetaminophen and codeine tablets carry risks of addiction, breathing problems, and liver injury if taken at high total acetaminophen doses. Any step that conflicts with your prescriber’s dosing plan or uses unregulated sources should stay off the table.
Ask For Generic Acetaminophen/Codeine
If your prescription simply reads “Tylenol #3,” you can still ask whether the pharmacy can fill it with a generic acetaminophen/codeine tablet. Most do this automatically, yet it never hurts to confirm. Generic tablets are chemically equivalent to the brand-name versions listed on GoodRx acetaminophen/codeine drug information, and they usually carry the lower price tag.
Compare Pharmacies Before You Fill
Pharmacies in the same town can post very different cash prices for the same strength and quantity. Calling two or three major chains near you, or checking them through a price-comparison site, often turns up a spread of $10–$20 or more per fill. Large supermarket and big-box chains tend to have the most aggressive pricing for generic pain medicines, while smaller independent pharmacies sometimes sit at the top of the range but offer more personal service.
Use Discount Cards Or Coupons When They Help
Discount cards from services such as GoodRx and others work like temporary cash-price contracts. The pharmacy agrees to accept a set price when you present the card or coupon, then the program handles the difference in the background. For Tylenol 3-equivalent generics, those cards can trim the cost from $30–$40 toward the middle or low end of the ranges in the first table.
One handy test is simple. When you drop off the prescription, ask the pharmacy to check both your insured price and a coupon price. If the coupon price is lower, you can choose that route. If the insured price is already low, the card may not help and you can stick with your regular benefit.
Talk With Your Doctor About Quantity
Many patients receive Tylenol 3 for short-term pain after dental work, minor surgery, or an injury. In those cases, a 10- to 30-tablet supply is common. For longer-term pain plans, your prescriber might be able to write for a 60- or 90-tablet fill if law and safety allow, and your health plan might reduce the per-tablet or per-month cost on those larger fills. Never change your dose just to stretch a bottle; any shift in pacing should be cleared with the prescriber first.
Avoid Risky Shortcuts
Some ways of saving money come with serious downsides. Sharing Tylenol 3 between family members hides your true use from doctors and breaks the chain of safety checks. Buying tablets from unlicensed online sellers or from people you know only through social media raises the risk of counterfeit pills, wrong strengths, or dangerous mixtures with other opioids. For a drug that can slow breathing and harm the liver at high doses, those shortcuts bring more risk than any savings they might promise.
Sample Tylenol 3 Cost Scenarios
To pull all these points together, the table below gives sample scenarios based on common pricing patterns for generic acetaminophen/codeine. These are not quotes, and local rules or insurance designs may push your own numbers above or below the ranges shown.
| Scenario | What The Fill Looks Like | Approximate Out-Of-Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Insured patient, low-tier generic | 30 tablets, generic acetaminophen/codeine, preferred retail chain | $5–$15 co-pay per fill |
| High-deductible plan, early in year | 30 tablets, generic, claim counts toward deductible | $30–$50 until deductible met |
| No insurance, uses coupon | 30 tablets, generic, coupon from price-comparison site | About $10–$25 per fill, based on GoodRx-style discounts |
| No insurance, no coupon | 30 tablets, generic, walk-in at local pharmacy | $30–$40+ per fill, full retail list price |
| Medicare plan with coverage | 30 tablets, generic, in-network pharmacy | Plan-set co-pay, often $5–$30 depending on Part D design |
Again, these figures describe common patterns, not guarantees. The exact answer to “How Much Are Tylenol 3?” for you depends on your plan, your pharmacy, and the choices you and your prescriber make about dose and duration.
When To Talk With A Professional About Cost And Safety
Because Tylenol 3 contains an opioid, the cost question lives right beside safety questions. The DailyMed label and other official sources stress the risks of addiction, breathing problems, and liver damage when acetaminophen/codeine is used at high doses or alongside alcohol and other sedating drugs. If your prescription feels expensive, do not cut tablets, skip doses, or stretch the bottle in ways that conflict with your doctor’s instructions just to save money.
The best move is open conversation. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist what kind of bill you are facing, which pharmacies you can reach easily, and whether you have insurance or not. Together, you can often find a safer mix of dose, quantity, pharmacy choice, and discount tools that keeps pain under control while keeping the cost of Tylenol 3 within reach.