How Much Does One OpenAI API Call Cost?

The cost of a single API call depends on three main factors: 1️The model you use (e.g., GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-4 Turbo) 2️The size of your input prompt (number of tokens) 3️ The length of the output response (number of tokens)

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Current Pricing (as of May 2025)

Model	Input Cost (per 1,000 tokens)	Output Cost (per 1,000 tokens)
GPT-3.5 Turbo	$0.0015	$0.002
GPT-4 Turbo	$0.01	$0.03

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Example Calculation

Example Scenario:

• Input Prompt: 500 tokens

• Output Response: 300 tokens

GPT-3.5 Turbo

• 500 input tokens = 0.5K → $0.00075

• 300 output tokens = 0.3K → $0.0006

• Total: ~$0.00135 per call

GPT-4 Turbo

• 500 input tokens = 0.5K → $0.005

• 300 output tokens = 0.3K → $0.009

• Total: ~$0.014 per call

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Average Cost Range

Model	Typical Cost per Call
GPT-3.5 Turbo	~$0.001 – $0.005
GPT-4 Turbo	~$0.01 – $0.05

Note: Actual cost varies depending on how long your prompts and responses are.

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How to Reduce Cost

Use shorter prompts and responses Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo for simple tasks Limit the maximum tokens in your API call

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How to Estimate Your Own Cost

Formula: Cost = (Input Tokens ÷ 1,000) × Input Rate + (Output Tokens ÷ 1,000) × Output Rate