Optometrist here . Put simply , the more experienced surgeons will charge for it it ' s why flagship places like vision eye institute , eye associates , etc . charge so much . Not saying the inexperienced surgeons are bad . Put things in perspective , ophthalmologists have to study around a minimum of 12 years at university before practicingAnother thing is the type of laser surgery there are quite a few different types now , with the newest being SMILE . Considered less invasive , is very pricey . One last thing to consider is what ' s included in the price and location . This is important because you ' ll be going in for quite a few consults and ' aftercares '. Technically these can be delegated to your local optometrist , but all of these add up especially if you ' re travelling far and often . Often there might be some satisfaction or warranties included . If you have more questions feel free to ask .