OBJECTIVES: Cost analysis of different dementia screening tests available in Spain from the healthcare system perspective. METHODS: A number of screening tests for General Practitioner (GP) consultation have been compared. According to their duration they were classified in long (>5 minutes) and short (<5 minutes) tests. The long tools evaluated were Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a Spanish validated adaptation of MMSE (MEC-30), Eurotest and Memory Alteration Test (T@M). On the other hand, short tools evaluated were Fototest, Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF), Memory Impairment Screen (MIS), Clock test (CT) and Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) or Pfeiffer Test. Direct costs of the screening and the costs of verification at hospital of the preliminary diagnosis were calculated. Costs by correct diagnosis (TP) have been calculated based on public prices of GP’s consultations and on analytical accounting of the public University Hospital Hospital Virgen de las Nieves (Granada, Spain). RESULTS: Total cost of each screening test was calculated as the addition of the GP study for each patient (long screening €64.4€ and short screening €43.5) plus the cost of the specific study for confirmation at hospital for positive diagnosis (laboratory tests €123.61 and medical consultations €208.86 per patient). Lower cost tests are Fototest (€527 per TP) and SPMSQ (€545.2 per TP). The rest of evaluated tests have higher costs (10-20%: CT, FVS, MEC-30 and Eurotest; 20-30%: MIS and T@M; >60%: MMSE). CONCLUSIONS: The MMSE, the most used screening test, is the most expensive. Fototest and SPMSQ are the screening test of lowest cost. Both tests are short, applicable to illiterates and show the same effectiveness as long tools. According to previous results, it may be recommendable to take into account the differences among tests in terms of opportunity costs and potential budgetary impact, in the design of a broad regional screening dementia strategy