OBJECTIVES: To estimate national expenditure with procedures of the National Cervical Cancer Control Program. METHODS: A cost description study was conducted to develop estimates of expenditures related to care held under the National Cervical Cancer Control Program in Brazil. Health Information Systems of the Public Health System, SUS (SIH, SIA, APAC, SIAB, and SIGTAP SISCOLO), national survey (PNAD 2008), and guidelines of INCA / MS, and reference systems for payments of the private system were consulted to construct estimates of direct and indirect costs. The estimates were grouped by sets of procedures of the stages of cervical cancer care (screening, diagnosis, treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix - CIN I and CIN II / III and treatment of cervical cancer). The study was conducted from the perspectives of the healthcare system and society. RESULTS: The total direct cost of SUS in 2006 was estimated at R$ 227,167,515, ambulatory visits were responsible for 27% of spending. Screening represented the highest spending. The estimated total direct spending to the private sector in 2006 was R$ 938,707,221, ambulatory visits were responsible for 68% of spending. The transport costs were estimated at R$ 230,533,910. Lost productivity was based on the human capital approach and was estimated at R$ 1,463,977,777. The final value of the direct and indirect costs estimated and adjusted for the year 2008 was R$ 3,193,335,402. CONCLUSIONS: Spending with National Cervical Cancer Control Program is very significant. There is need for more costing studies in the country, alongside a greater structuring of official systems cost data available in order to contribute to the standardization and accuracy of the estimates of national costs.