Enter traffic and pricing inputs
The calculator uses tiered egress pricing, free bandwidth allowance, optional support loading, contract discount, and tax.
Example data table
This sample shows how a typical monthly bandwidth estimate can be reviewed before final billing reconciliation.
| Scenario | Ingress GB | Egress GB | Internal GB | Retrieval GB | Free Egress GB | Discount | Tax | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample CDN and storage workload | 2,000 | 3,500 | 400 | 150 | 100 | 8% | 10% | $278.83 |
| Archive retrieval burst | 500 | 800 | 200 | 900 | 50 | 5% | 8% | Depends on provider rates |
| Cross-region application traffic | 1,200 | 1,600 | 1,000 | 0 | 100 | 10% | 0% | Useful for internal chargeback |
Formula used
Billable Egress = max(0, Total Egress GB − Free Egress GB)
Egress Cost = (Tier 1 Usage × Tier 1 Rate) + (Tier 2 Usage × Tier 2 Rate) + (Tier 3 Usage × Tier 3 Rate)
Subtotal Before Discount = Ingress Cost + Egress Cost + Internal Transfer Cost + Retrieval Cost
Discount Amount = Subtotal Before Discount × Discount %
Subtotal After Discount = Subtotal Before Discount − Discount Amount
Support Charge = Subtotal After Discount × Support %
Tax Amount = (Subtotal After Discount + Support Charge) × Tax %
Grand Total = Subtotal After Discount + Support Charge + Tax Amount
Many providers charge little or nothing for ingress, but egress, internal transfers, and retrieval actions can meaningfully increase monthly spend.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a provider name or scenario label for your estimate.
- Select the reporting currency you want for the output.
- Input monthly ingress, egress, internal transfer, and retrieval volumes.
- Set the free egress allowance included by your provider.
- Enter tiered egress limits and rates from your pricing sheet.
- Add ingress, internal transfer, and retrieval rates where applicable.
- Apply your committed spend discount, support surcharge, and tax percentage.
- Press Calculate Cost to show totals above the form.
- Review the chart and detailed table, then export CSV or PDF.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is ingress in cloud billing?
Ingress is data entering a cloud service. Many providers price it at zero, but private links, dedicated connectivity, or specialized services may still introduce related charges.
2. What is egress in cloud billing?
Egress is outbound data leaving a service, region, or provider. It is often the largest traffic charge because internet delivery and cross-network transfer usually carry per-GB pricing.
3. Why use tiered egress pricing?
Tiered pricing reflects lower rates after traffic reaches larger usage bands. This calculator separates each tier so you can see where your bill changes and test scale effects.
4. Does internal transfer always cost extra?
Not always. Some providers include certain internal paths for free, while cross-zone, cross-region, or inter-service traffic can still be billed. Always confirm your provider’s network pricing notes.
5. Why include retrieval charges?
Storage classes such as archival or infrequent access may charge for reading back data. Adding retrieval helps you estimate total delivery cost more realistically during restore or export activity.
6. Should discounts be applied before tax?
Usually yes, contract discounts reduce the billable subtotal first. Taxes and support plans often apply afterward, but your invoice structure may vary by contract or region.
7. What does effective cost per processed GB mean?
It divides the grand total by the combined charged traffic base. It helps compare providers, architectures, or caching strategies using one normalized cost measure.
8. Can I use this for internal chargeback?
Yes. Replace provider pricing with internal transfer rates, support percentages, and tax rules. The output table works well for monthly team billing or environment cost allocation.