Kubernetes monthly spend.

Kubernetes cost has three parts: worker nodes (compute instances), managed control plane (EKS/GKE/AKS fee), and additional services (load balancers, ingress, monitoring, logging). Typical cluster: 50-300/month for small workload (3-5 nodes), 2,000-10,000/month for mid-scale production (20-50 nodes), 50k+ for large enterprise.

10 nodes × 100/month + 75 managed control plane + 200 add-on services = 1,275/month. 15,300 annually. Mid-sized production setup. Most teams underestimate add-on services (load balancers, monitoring stack, storage) which often match node cost in large clusters.

Cost optimization: right-size nodes (stop using 16GB instances for 4GB workloads), use spot instances for non-critical (50-90% cheaper), cluster autoscaling, deprovision dev/test clusters outside working hours, consolidate workloads per node. Combined FinOps programmes typically cut cluster costs 30-50%.

Quick example

With worker nodes of 10 and cost per node monthly of 100 (plus managed control plane of 75 and additional services of 200), the result is 1,275.00. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.

Which inputs matter most

You enter Worker Nodes, Cost per Node Monthly, Managed Control Plane, and Additional Services. Frequency and unit price pull the total in different directions. The biggest surprise for most people is how small recurring amounts compound into large annual figures — that's where this calculation earns its keep.

What's happening under the hood

Total monthly = (nodes × per-node) + control plane + additional services. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.

Using this as a check-in

Re-run this every three months. A single reading tells you where you stand; four readings tell you whether things are improving. The trend matters more than any individual snapshot.

What this doesn't capture

The score is a composite of the inputs you provide. Life context — job security, family obligations, health, housing — doesn't appear in the math but shapes the real picture. Use the number as a prompt, not a verdict.