AI & Developers
OpenAI API Pricing Calculator
Estimate what the OpenAI API will cost. Pick a model, enter input and output tokens per request and how many requests you make — get cost per request, per day and per month.
Pricing data updated: June 2026.
How OpenAI API pricing works
OpenAI bills by tokens, not by request. A token is a chunk of text — about four characters or three-quarters of a word in English. You pay separately for input tokens (your prompt) and output tokens (the model's reply), and output is almost always more expensive.
Prices are quoted per 1,000,000 tokens, so the per-request cost is tiny — which is exactly why it's easy to under-budget until you multiply by real traffic.
cost = (input ÷ 1M × input price) + (output ÷ 1M × output price), × requests
OpenAI model prices
Per 1M tokens, as of June 2026. Always confirm the latest on the official OpenAI pricing page before budgeting:
| Model | Input / 1M | Output / 1M |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| GPT-4o mini | $0.15 | $0.6 |
| GPT-4.1 | $2.00 | $8.00 |
| GPT-4.1 mini | $0.4 | $1.60 |
| o3 | $2.00 | $8.00 |
Estimating your token counts
- Rule of thumb: ~4 characters or ~0.75 words per token. 1,000 tokens ≈ 750 words ≈ 1.5 pages.
- Don't forget the system prompt and any few-shot examples — they're billed as input on every call.
- Output is variable. Cap it with a max-tokens limit so a runaway response can't blow your budget.
Worked example
Using GPT-4o at $2.50 input / $10.00 output per 1M tokens, a request with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens costs about $0.0075. Run 10,000 of those a month and you're looking at roughly $75.00/month — around $900.00 a year. Swap models above to compare instantly.
How to reduce your API bill
- Right-size the model. Use a smaller/cheaper model for easy tasks and reserve the flagship for hard ones.
- Use prompt caching if OpenAI offers it — repeated context (system prompts, docs) can be billed at a steep discount.
- Trim the prompt. Remove redundant instructions and over-long examples; shorter input is directly cheaper.
- Batch and cap. Batch APIs often cost less, and a max-output limit prevents surprise charges.
How to use this calculator
- Pick a model. Choose the OpenAI model you'll call — input and output prices differ a lot between tiers.
- Enter tokens per request. Set the average input and output tokens for a typical request (roughly 4 characters per token).
- Enter requests per month. Your expected monthly call volume.
- Read the projection. See cost per request, per 1,000 requests, per day and per year, updated instantly.
Compare other providers: see all AI & developer tools.
Frequently asked questions
Are these prices up to date?
Prices are listed as of June 2026 and may change. Always confirm on the provider's official pricing page before budgeting. The math itself is exact.
How is cost calculated?
Cost = (input tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × input price) + (output tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × output price), multiplied by your number of requests.
How many tokens is my text?
A rough rule of thumb for English is ~4 characters or ~0.75 words per token. 1,000 tokens ≈ 750 words.
Why is output more expensive than input?
Generating tokens is more compute-intensive than reading them, so providers price output higher — often 3–5× the input rate. Keeping responses concise is one of the easiest ways to cut costs.
Do these prices include taxes or minimums?
No. The calculator shows usage cost only. Your invoice may add tax, and some plans have minimums or volume discounts — check your account terms.