How do I use the AI token cost calculator?
- Enter requests per day and average input and output tokens.
- Enter your model’s input and output price per million tokens.
- Press Estimate cost to see monthly and yearly totals.
AI token cost calculator: frequently asked questions
What is a token?
A chunk of text the model reads or writes. In English, 1,000 tokens is roughly 750 words; Arabic usually uses more tokens per word.
Why are output tokens more expensive?
Generating text takes more computing than reading it, so most providers charge several times more for output.
Why are input and output priced differently?
Generating text costs more compute than reading it, so output tokens usually cost more.
How do I reduce AI costs?
Use smaller models for simple tasks, trim prompts, cache repeated context and limit output length.
How many tokens does a typical chat use?
A short customer conversation often uses a few thousand tokens including instructions and retrieved content.
Do prices change often?
Yes. Enter your provider’s current prices; the calculator does the arithmetic.
What is prompt caching?
A discount some providers give when the same long prompt prefix is reused.
Does retrieval (RAG) add tokens?
Yes. Retrieved passages are added to the input, so keep chunks relevant.
Should I estimate monthly cost?
Yes: cost per conversation × conversations per month, plus a margin for growth.
Which AI models does this work with?
Any model: enter your provider’s prices or use the prompt with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
Learn more
- BlogArabic Chatbot for Business: How It Works, What It Costs and How to Get It Right in the UAEHow an Arabic AI chatbot works on WhatsApp and your website, how it handles Gulf dialect and Arabizi, what it costs to build and run, and how to launch one safely.
- GuideAI agents for UAE businesses: what they do and where to start
- GlossaryWhat is Token (AI)?The unit of text AI models read and are billed by.