EKS Cost Calculator

EKS costs are usually driven by node compute. This EKS cost calculator helps you size nodes from pod requests (including max pods per node) and then estimate monthly cost using a per-node $/hour assumption. Compare baseline vs peak and add control plane, storage, and observability as separate line items.

1) Size nodes from requests

Use representative requests (not peak limits). Choose an allocatable % to reserve capacity for kube-system and headroom.

Include max pods per node if your CNI enforces pod caps, and compare baseline vs peak to avoid surprises.

Inputs

Pods
CPU request (mCPU / pod)
~0.25 cores per pod.
Memory request (MiB / pod)
~0.5 GiB per pod.
CPU limit (mCPU / pod)
Memory limit (MiB / pod)
Node CPU (cores)
Node memory (GiB)
Allocatable (%)
Reserve capacity for kubelet/daemonsets/overhead.
~7.2 cores, 28.8 GiB allocatable.
Max pods per node
Set to 0 to ignore pod limits.
Peak pods multiplier (%)
Model a peak month (traffic spikes, reprocessing, incidents).
Scenario presets

Results

Total CPU requests
15 cores
Total memory requests
30 GiB
Nodes needed (requests)
3
Bottleneck
CPU requests
Allocatable per node
7.2 cores / 28.8 GiB (90%)
Max pods per node
110
Baseline vs peak
ScenarioPodsNodesCPU req (cores)Mem req (GiB)
Baseline6031530
Peak75318.7537.5
Delta1503.757.5
Limits (burst risk)
MetricTotal
CPU limits30 cores
Memory limits60 GiB

2) Apply pricing

Multiply estimated node count by $/hour and uptime. Use a blended rate if you mix on-demand, commitments, or spot.

Inputs

Nodes
Avg $233.47 per node-month.
Price per node ($ / hour)
Utilization (%)
Use <100% if nodes aren't running 24/7.
Hours/day
Days/month
Use 30.4 for an average month.
Monthly hours: 730
Scenario presets

Results

Estimated monthly node cost
$2,801.66
Billable hours (per node)
730 hr (100%)
Cost per node
$233.47

How to get your inputs

  • Inputs: use billing exports, metrics, or logs to get real counts/GB where possible.
  • Units: convert throughput (Mbps) or rates (RPS) into monthly units when needed.
  • Scenarios: build a baseline and a high-usage scenario to avoid under-budgeting.

Result interpretation

  • If nodes dominate, focus on pod requests, allocatable %, and bin-packing efficiency.
  • If node count spikes at peak, review HPA targets and pod resource requests.

Common mistakes

  • Using a single average and ignoring peak/incident scenarios.
  • Double-counting or missing adjacent line items (transfer, logs, retries).

Advanced inputs to capture

  • Control plane fees are fixed per cluster.
  • Node hours by instance type drive most compute cost.
  • Add-ons like ingress and service mesh add overhead.
  • Logs and metrics ingestion can be a hidden second bill.

Scenario planning

Scenario Node count Pod requests Notes
Baseline Average Expected Normal traffic
Peak High High Launch or incident

Validate after changes

  • Compare your estimate to the first real bill and adjust assumptions.
  • Track the primary driver metric (requests/GB/count) over time.

Next steps

Guides All calculators Kubernetes cost calculator (generic) Guide: EKS pricing K8s cost model checklist Log cost calculator
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Example scenario

  • Use representative pod requests to estimate node count, then multiply by blended $/hour and uptime.
  • Compare baseline vs peak to see how autoscaling changes node count and cost.

Included

  • Requests/limits sizing into cluster totals and node estimate (including max pods per node).
  • Baseline vs peak sizing summary and bottleneck highlight.
  • Node cost estimate from node count, $/hour, and expected uptime.

Not included

  • Control plane fees, load balancers, storage, logs/metrics, and data egress (add separately).
  • Scheduling constraints (affinities, taints, topology spread) and daemonset overhead that can increase node count.

How we calculate

  • Step 1: Convert per-pod requests into totals and an estimated node count with pod limits.
  • Step 2: Estimate monthly node cost from node count and $/hour pricing.
  • Step 3: Compare baseline vs peak scenarios and then add separate line items for control plane, storage, observability, and egress.

FAQ

Do managed control plane fees matter?
Often yes. Many managed Kubernetes offerings charge a fixed hourly control plane fee. Add it separately.
Should I size by requests or limits?
Scheduling uses requests. Limits are a safety ceiling and can be much higher than requests.
Why does max pods per node matter?
EKS nodes also enforce a pod cap (often 110). That limit can force more nodes even if CPU/memory fits.

Related tools

Kubernetes cost calculator (generic) Guide: EKS pricing K8s cost model checklist Log cost calculator Metrics cost calculator

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Disclaimer

Educational use only. Not legal, financial, or professional advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions shown on this page. Verify pricing and limits with your providers and documentation.

Last updated: 2026-02-07