Introduction: Patients with COPD consume considerable health care resources due to their lung disease and frequent comorbidities.OBJECTIVES: To estimate the hospitalisation cost of patients suffering from COPD in the department of pneumonology of the university hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece.METHODS: The study sample consisted of all the patients, 142 in total,  with COPD, of all stages, who were hospitalized in the pneumonology department, in 2006 and 2007.  The analysis was performed retrospectively. Information on mean treatment cost per patient is presented separately for the I-IV COPD stages, according to GOLD criteria. Direct cost analysis was based on cost of personnel of the clinic, medication, laboratory and imaging tests. The economic analysis did not include the depreciation of capital assets as well as the overhead cost. The prices used for the analysis were based on Greek NHS prices (FEK157/91, A’ issue), 2006 Euros.RESULTS: The mean (SD) length of stay in the deparment of pneumonology for a COPD patient was 6 (4)  days and the mean(SD) actual cost per patient with stage I COPD was €1091 (85), the mean cost for a patient with stage II COPD was estimated at €1081 (106.5) for the the whole length of stay and  the mean cost for stage III and IV COPD patients are 1146 (120,3) and €1222 (197), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: COPD posses a considerable economic burden to health care systems and societies. These findings are in accordance to international literature.