OpenAI Cost Calculator

Estimate what running OpenAI models costs before the invoice arrives. Pick a model from the dropdown — the list is kept current and includes legacy tiers — then enter typical input and output token counts and your daily request volume for an instant per-request, per-day and monthly figure.

Inputs

Result

$675

per month

$0.0225 per request · $22.50 per day · $8,213 per year

Input cost per request
$0.0075
Output cost per request
$0.0150
Cost per 1,000 requests
$22.50
Tokens per day
2,000,000
Tokens per month
60,000,000
Cost per day
$22.50
Cost per month (30 days)
$675
Cost per year
$8,213

Disclaimer: Model availability, pricing and specifications may change. Verify pricing directly with the provider before making business decisions. Preset rates reflect published list prices last reviewed August 2026; choose “Custom pricing” to enter your own rates.

Formula

  • Input cost = (input tokens ÷ 1,000,000) × input price
  • Output cost = (output tokens ÷ 1,000,000) × output price
  • Monthly cost = (input cost + output cost) × requests per day × 30

Methodology

Pricing is quoted per million tokens and split into input (what you send, including the system prompt and any retrieved context) and output (what the model writes back). The two rates are different, and output is usually the more expensive of the pair.

The calculator multiplies your token counts by the selected rate, then scales the per-request cost by your daily volume to a monthly and annual figure. A 30-day month and a 365-day year are used so results stay comparable between tools.

Provider prices change, so every model list includes a custom option. Enter the exact rates from your provider's pricing page for a number you can put in a budget. Model availability, pricing and specifications may change. Verify pricing directly with the provider before making business decisions.

Example: a support assistant on a mid-tier model

  1. A support assistant sends a 1,500-token prompt and receives a 500-token answer, 1,000 times a day, on a model priced at $2.00 input and $12.00 output per million tokens.
  2. Input: 1,500 ÷ 1,000,000 × $2.00 = $0.003 per request.
  3. Output: 500 ÷ 1,000,000 × $12.00 = $0.006 per request.
  4. Total: $0.009 per request, $9.00 a day, about $270 a month.

Frequently asked questions

How many tokens is a typical OpenAI prompt?

English text averages roughly 4 characters per token, so about 750 words equals 1,000 tokens. Count the system prompt, conversation history and any documents you paste in — they are all billed as input.

Why is output more expensive than input?

Generating tokens requires a full forward pass per token, while input is processed in parallel. That is why trimming a verbose answer usually saves more money than trimming the prompt.

How do I lower my OpenAI bill?

Use a smaller tier for routine work, cap max output tokens, trim conversation history, cache repeated system prompts, and batch non-urgent jobs where the provider offers a discount.

Are these prices always up to date?

The presets reflect widely published list prices and are reviewed periodically, but providers adjust them and offer discounts for batch processing, cached input and committed spend. Model availability, pricing and specifications may change. Verify pricing directly with the provider before making business decisions.

What happens when a provider launches a new model?

Model names and rates live in one central configuration, so a new model appears in every relevant dropdown as soon as it is added. Page URLs stay provider-based rather than version-based, so no link ever goes stale when a model generation changes.

Does the calculator send my data anywhere?

No. Every calculation runs in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded, stored or logged.

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