Note: While the first section of this post is relevant to people living in Tucson, Arizona, the rest of the post is relevant to anyone living anywhere in the United States.

I wanted to share my experience getting an eye exam in Tucson, AZ and buying prescription glasses in the USA.

1. How to Get a Low-Cost Eye Exam in Tucson

Many University of Arizona students may not know that their Student Health Insurance Plan can make the eye exam much more affordable. University of Arizona students enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan can get an eye exam and eyeglass prescription at Arizona Primary Eye Care, located inside the Student Union. You can make an appointment here: https://locations.myeyedr.com/az/tucson/1303-east-university-boulevard 

When checking in, mention that you want to use the University of Arizona Student Health Insurance Plan. You only need to pay a $25 copay, which is much cheaper than the regular cost of an eye exam at many other places. They will ask to see your health insurance card, so make sure to bring it with you.

For the eye health checkup, they will ask you to choose between pupil dilation and retinal imaging. Dilation is covered by the student health insurance at no additional cost, while retinal imaging costs approximately $45 extra.

With dilation, the doctor places special eye drops in your eyes to enlarge your pupils. This can make your near vision blurry and your eyes more sensitive to light for about two to three hours. During this time, reading, studying, or working on a computer can be very difficult.

Retinal imaging does not cause these temporary vision problems, but it costs extra. Therefore, if you choose dilation and do not want to pay for retinal imaging, I recommend scheduling your appointment on a day when you do not have any exams, classwork, or important tasks for at least two to three hours afterward.

 2. What You Need When Buying Glasses Online

Eyeglasses are very expensive in the USA. One option could be to get your prescription here and send it to someone in Bangladesh so they can have the glasses made and send them to you. You can also buy glasses from affordable online stores.

When ordering glasses online, or when sending your prescription to someone in Bangladesh, you will usually need your pupillary distance, commonly called PD or IPD.

A standard eyeglass prescription typically includes measurements such as: Sphere, Cylinder, Axis. However, the prescription may not include your PD. You can ask Arizona Primary Eye Care to measure your PD and give you the number. I am not sure whether they will provide it if you are not purchasing glasses from them, but it is worth asking.

Many online stores provide tools that claim to measure your PD using your phone or computer camera. I strongly discourage relying on these tools because the measurements can be inaccurate. An incorrect PD may affect the comfort and clarity of your glasses.

If you have a Costco membership and purchase glasses from Costco, they will measure your PD and include the number with your order information.

You may also use a PD measurement from your old prescription taken within the last few years because it usually does not change frequently in adults. However, I would not recommend using a measurement that is more than two or three years old.

If you purchase glasses from a physical eyeglass store in the USA, the store will measure your PD. So, you do not need to worry about knowing your PD when purchasing from a physical store.

One more important thing: On your prescription, OS refers to the left eye, while OD refers to the right eye. When ordering glasses online, carefully enter the correct prescription values for each eye.

3. Can You Buy Eyeglasses in the USA Using a Bangladeshi Prescription?

Major physical eyeglass stores in the United States generally do not accept prescriptions issued in Bangladesh. Therefore, you may not be able to purchase prescription glasses from a physical store using your Bangladeshi prescription.

However, you can often order prescription glasses online as long as you know all the required measurements, including: Sphere, Cylinder, Axis, PD/IPD

Many online eyeglass stores allow you to enter these measurements manually. In such cases, you do not need to upload a scanned copy of your prescription and you can use your Bangladeshi prescription.

4. Understanding the Price of Prescription Glasses

Most online stores initially show only the frame price. You may find frames that look extremely cheap, but the lenses are often the main expense.

The lens price depends heavily on your prescription. Lower-power prescriptions are generally cheaper, while higher-power prescriptions may require thinner, high-index, or more specialized lenses, which cost more.

You may be able to purchase basic prescription glasses with standard lenses online for approximately $50 to $100. However, adding advanced features can increase the price to $200 or more.

Features that may increase the price include:

• High-index or thinner lenses

• Anti-reflective coating

• Scratch-resistant coating

• Blue-light filtering

• Transition lenses

• Polarized lenses

• Specialized lenses for computer or phone use

5. My Eyeglass-Buying Experience

I purchased glasses from three different places in the United States. These examples may help you understand the possible price range.

Arizona Primary Eye Care:

Arizona Primary Eye Care offers different frame and lens packages. I selected a frame from their purple-tag category. At the time, the purple-tag package included a frame and basic lenses for around $145.

I added extra lens features, including Eyezen lenses and an anti-reflective coating. Eyezen lenses include a small power boost near the bottom of the lens for more comfortable computer and phone use. I did not see this feature offered under the same name, Eyezen, at Costco or online eyeglass stores. I am not sure whether they sell a similar type of lens under a different name. Arizona Primary Eye Care may offer it because it is located on campus, where many students may want extra comfort for long hours of computer or phone use. Eyezen is different from the traditional blue-light-filtering feature that many other stores offer for computer use. I personally find Eyezen lenses more comfortable for extended computer use.

My final price breakdown at Arizona Primary Eye Care was as follows:

• Frame: $75

• Lenses (with Eyzen and anti-reflective coating ): $146

• Total: $221

Costco:

I also purchased a glasses from Costco.

The Costco standard lens package included anti-reflective coating, scratch-resistant coating, UV protection, and a blue-light filter.

My price breakdown was:

• Frame: $114.99

• Standard lens package: $65.99

• Total: $180.98

GlassesShop.com:

I purchased prescription sunglasses from GlassesShop.com, an online store that shipped the glasses from China.

My price breakdown was:

• Frame: $26.95

• Polarized lenses with anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and UV coatings: $166.90

• Total before coupon: $193.85

• Final price after using a coupon: $137.11

The store offered me a coupon after I signed in, which reduced the final price significantly.

All prices in this post are from summer 2026 and may change over time.

6. My Overall Experience

My experience with all three places was good. All of them provided high-quality products, and I am satisfied with the glasses.

However, keep in mind that most physical and online eyeglass stores need approximately 1 to 2 weeks to prepare prescription glasses. If your glasses suddenly break, you may not be able to get a new pair on the same day, as you often can in Bangladesh. In my experience, Costco was the fastest option. My glasses were ready for pickup in six days. It is a good idea to keep an older pair as a backup in case your current glasses are lost or broken.

I hope sharing my experience helps you with your next eye exam or prescription glasses purchase.