Dictionary
Cost Per Token
The unit economics of LLM APIs.
1 min readupdated 2026-07-04
/ quick answer
Providers price separately for input and output tokens, usually per million. Output is typically 3-5x more expensive than input, so long context is cheap but long answers are not. The unit economics of LLM APIs.
The unit economics of LLM APIs. Providers price separately for input and output tokens, usually per million. Output is typically 3-5x more expensive than input, so long context is cheap but long answers are not. In practice: GPT-4o mini: $0.15/M input, $0.60/M output — a $0.001 support answer at 2k in + 500 out. This dictionary node is part of the Onexial knowledge graph and links to related concepts, workflows and tools below.
Definition
Providers price separately for input and output tokens, usually per million. Output is typically 3-5x more expensive than input, so long context is cheap but long answers are not.
Example
GPT-4o mini: $0.15/M input, $0.60/M output — a $0.001 support answer at 2k in + 500 out.
/ frequently asked
What is Cost Per Token?
Providers price separately for input and output tokens, usually per million. Output is typically 3-5x more expensive than input, so long context is cheap but long answers are not.
What is an example of Cost Per Token?
GPT-4o mini: $0.15/M input, $0.60/M output — a $0.001 support answer at 2k in + 500 out.
Why does Cost Per Token matter for AI and automation?
The unit economics of LLM APIs. It connects to the workflows, prompts and tool stacks linked on this page, so you can move from definition to execution without leaving Onexial.
↳ connected nodes
Workflow↳ linked
Context Window Optimization Workflow
This workflow outlines steps to optimize the information fed into an LLM's finite context window, ensuring maximal relevance and efficiency while managing token limits.
Dictionary↳ linked
Token Budgeting
Token budgeting is the strategic allocation and management of token usage within large language model (LLM) operations to control costs and optimize performance.
Workflow↳ linked
Optimize AI Agent Token Costs
This workflow outlines steps to systematically analyze, reduce, and manage token consumption for AI agents, ensuring cost-effective operation.
Dictionary↳ linked
AI Cost Control
AI cost control is the practice of monitoring, analyzing, and managing the financial expenditures associated with developing, deploying, and operating artificial intelligence systems.
Dictionary↳ linked
Token Budget
A token budget is a predefined limit on the number of tokens an AI application or specific request can consume within a given period or for a single interaction. It is a critical mechanism for controlling costs and managing resource allocation for Large Language Model (LLM) usage.
Dictionary↳ linked
AI Router
A layer that picks the cheapest capable model for each request, saving cost and latency.