OBJECTIVES: Willingness to pay (WTP) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) has been suggested as the threshold of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in evaluating health technology. This study is to estimate the WTP/QALY in Chinese patients with chronic prostatitis (CP). METHODS: A consecutive sample of CP outpatients who visited 306 Hospital of PLA in Beijing, China at the beginning of 2009 was recruited. Their health related utility was assessed through EQ-5D and SF-6D; and their health status with EQ-VAS and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. A closed-ended iterative bidding contingent valuation method was used to elicit WTP for a hypothetical perfect health. WTP/QALY was calculated with the utility and WTP value elicited in this study. Multiple linear regression model was run to identify the effect of factors on the magnitude of WTP/QALY. RESULTS: After informed consent, 178 CP patients participated in the study. Mean (SD) EQ-5D and SF-6D utility weights were comparable at 0.74 (0.13) and 0.75 (0.09) respectively. WTP/QALY were estimated at US$8197 with EQ-5D and US$7684 with SF-6D, which were much lower than the often-cited threshold of cost-effectiveness analysis. Compared with the threshold recommended by World Health Organization, which is 1-3 times of gross domestic product per capita, WTP/QALY from this study were also at the lower bound. Working and unmarried Patients with higher household income were willing to pay more for a QALY. CONCLUSIONS: As the first study to estimate the WTP/QALY in China, this study demonstrated that question for WTP in this study is acceptable and feasible in Chinese CP patients, and the method to calculate WTP/QALY produced meaningful answers. The lower WTP/QALY compared with the often-cited threshold of CEA suggests that WTP/QALY elicited from patients may not provide insight into societal valuations of medical expenditures.