OBJECTIVES: Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis and septicemia in infants, young children and adolescents, with considerable morbidity and mortality and health system costs. We synthesized available data to estimate the cost associated with meningococcal disease in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Panama from the societal perspective. METHODS: National treatment guidelines were considered to establish treatment practices of meningococcal disease in each country. A combination of retrospective data collection techniques was used in the study, including structured interviews to physicians and primary caregivers, and review of patient medical records, and medical registers of hospitals, health centers and laboratory centers. All cost components were based on 2014 prices and were converted to US dollars using the official exchange rate RESULTS: The economics of meningococcal disease is complex and multifaceted. The country that reported the highest treatment cost of meningococcal disease was Panama, taking up 62% of the total cost across the three countries. This was followed by Colombia and Chile with both taking up to 22% and 16% of the total costs of meningococcal disease, respectively. Direct medical costs and, more specifically, hospital care costs took up the biggest proportion of the total cost of meningococcal disease in all three countries, ranging from 63% to 72%, reflecting on the level of disease severity. Loss of productivity contributed up to 2.4% of the total cost for meningococcal disease in Chile, in contrast to 1.7% and 1.3% of the total cost estimated in Colombia and Panama, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study underscore the importance of meningococcal disease in the region in terms of cost. Future research should focus on more detailed investigation of costs of meningococcal cases and outbreaks from the societal perspective.