Calculator inputs
Single-column page layout with a responsive three, two, and one column field grid.
Cost visualization
The chart updates after calculation and compares major budget layers.
Formula used
Uncached Input Tokens = Total Input Tokens − Cached Input Tokens
Base Request Cost = (Uncached Input Tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × Input Rate) + (Cached Input Tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × Cached Rate) + (Output Tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × Output Rate)
Final Request Cost = Base Request Cost × (1 + Margin Percentage ÷ 100)
Daily Cost = Final Request Cost × Requests Per Day
Monthly Variable Cost = Daily Cost × Billable Days Per Month
Monthly Total Cost = Monthly Variable Cost + Fixed Monthly Fee
Annual Total Cost = Monthly Total Cost × 12
How to use this calculator
- Select a model preset, service tier, and context class to load rate defaults.
- Enter total input, cached input, and output tokens for one average request.
- Add the expected daily request volume and the number of active days per month.
- Apply a margin percentage to cover safety buffers, overhead, or target markup.
- Include any fixed monthly fee such as monitoring, support, or platform operations.
- Set the exchange rate and local currency fields when you need regional reporting.
- Press Estimate cost to show the result above the form, generate the chart, and unlock CSV and PDF downloads.
Example data table
| Scenario | Model | Input Tokens | Cached Input | Output Tokens | Requests/Day | Billable Days | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Assistant | gpt-5.4 mini | 12,000 | 6,000 | 2,200 | 800 | 30 | Daily customer help desk flows. |
| Knowledge Agent | gpt-5.4 | 28,000 | 14,000 | 3,800 | 350 | 22 | Internal document search and answers. |
| High Accuracy Review | gpt-5.4 pro | 18,000 | 0 | 4,500 | 90 | 20 | Expert review and complex analysis. |
Frequently asked questions
1) When should I use this calculator?
Use it whenever you know estimated input, cached input, and output tokens per request. Add request volume, monthly activity days, margin, and exchange rate to preview several budgeting layers quickly.
2) What are cached input tokens?
Cached input tokens are prompt segments previously processed and billed at a lower rate when supported. They reduce repeated context costs, especially in chatbots, agents, and multi-turn workflows.
3) Can I replace the default rates?
Yes. The model, service tier, context class, exchange rate, and all token prices are editable. That lets you adapt the calculator when pricing changes or when you negotiate internal transfer rates.
4) What does the graph show?
The chart compares daily, monthly variable, monthly total, and annual totals. It helps spot how small token changes grow when multiplied by traffic volume and overhead assumptions.
5) Why include margin and fixed monthly fees?
Margin adds a percentage on top of variable request costs. Fixed monthly fees represent platform, support, logging, or monitoring expenses that do not scale directly with each request.
6) Is the result an exact future bill?
No. It estimates usage cost from the assumptions you enter. Actual bills can differ because of changing prices, rounding, retries, tool calls, or other service-specific charges.
7) How do I improve estimate accuracy?
Start with average tokens from logs, not guesses. Then model low, expected, and peak traffic separately. Update token rates regularly and compare several model presets before committing budgets.
8) Why export CSV and PDF files?
CSV is useful for spreadsheets and budgeting models. PDF is better for sharing a clean snapshot with clients, teammates, or finance reviewers who only need the summarized estimate.