GPT-5 mini API Pricing and Cost Estimates
OpenAI GPT-5 mini API pricing is $0.25 per 1M input tokens and $2 per 1M output tokens. Cached input is billed at $0.025 per 1M tokens. The context window is 400K tokens. The Batch API bills at 50% of standard. Prices verified 2026-07-27 against the official pricing page.
Input / 1M tokens
$0.25
Output / 1M tokens
$2
Cached input / 1M
$0.025
Context window
400K
Monthly cost at three workloads
| Workload | Tokens / month | Standard | 50% cache hit | Batch API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light (prototype / side project) | 5M in + 1M out | $3.25 | $2.69 | $1.63 |
| Medium (small production app) | 50M in + 10M out | $32.50 | $26.88 | $16.25 |
| Heavy (production at scale) | 500M in + 100M out | $325 | $269 | $163 |
Closest-priced alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Output / 1M | Medium workload / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI GPT-5 mini | $0.25 | $2 | $32.50 |
| DeepSeek DeepSeek V4 Pro | $0.435 | $0.87 | $30.45 |
| Google Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $1.5 | $27.50 |
| DeepSeek DeepSeek V4 Flash | $0.14 | $0.28 | $9.80 |
| Zhipu (z.ai) GLM-5 | $1 | $3.2 | $82.00 |
Medium workload = 50M input + 10M output tokens per month at standard price, no caching. Prices verified 2026-07-27.
Calculate with your own volume
LLM API Pricing Calculator
Compare current API prices for Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi, Grok and other LLMs, and estimate your monthly bill from token volume. Includes prompt-caching prices and batch discounts that most comparison tables miss. Prices last verified 2026-07-27. Runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no signup.
Share of input tokens served from prompt cache
| Model | Input $/M | Output $/M | Cached $/M | Context | Est. monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DeepSeek V4 Flash DeepSeek · open-weight | $0.14 | $0.28 | $0.0028 | 1M | $9.80 |
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $1.5 | $0.025 | 1M | $27.50 |
DeepSeek V4 Pro DeepSeek · open-weight | $0.435 | $0.87 | $0.003625 | 1M | $30.45 |
GPT-5 mini OpenAI | $0.25 | $2 | $0.025 | 400K | $32.50 |
GLM-5 Zhipu (z.ai) · open-weight | $1 | $3.2 | $0.2 | 200K | $82.00 |
Grok 4.20 xAI | $1.25 | $2.5 | $0.2 | 1M | $87.50 |
Kimi K2.7 Code Moonshot · open-weight | $0.95 | $4 | $0.19 | 262K | $87.50 |
Claude Haiku 4.5 Anthropic | $1 | $5 | $0.1 | 200K | $100 |
GPT-5.6 luna OpenAI | $1 | $6 | $0.1 | 1.05M | $110 |
GLM-5.2 Zhipu (z.ai) · open-weight | $1.4 | $4.4 | $0.26 | 200K | $114 |
Gemini 3.6 Flash | $1.5 | $7.5 | $0.15 | 1M | $150 |
Grok 4.5 xAI | $2 | $6 | $0.3 | 500K | $160 |
Claude Sonnet 5 Anthropic | $2 | $10 | $0.2 | 1M | $200 |
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | $2 | $12 | $0.2 | 1M | $220 |
GPT-5.6 terra OpenAI | $2.5 | $15 | $0.25 | 1.05M | $275 |
Kimi K3 Moonshot · open-weight | $3 | $15 | $0.3 | 1.048576M | $300 |
Claude Opus 5 Anthropic | $5 | $25 | $0.5 | 1M | $500 |
GPT-5.6 sol OpenAI | $5 | $30 | $0.5 | 1.05M | $550 |
Claude Fable 5 Anthropic | $10 | $50 | $1 | 1M | $1000 |
Prices are per 1 million tokens in USD, standard (non-batch) tier, verified 2026-07-27 against official pricing pages. Claude Sonnet 5: Intro price through Aug 31, 2026; $3 / $15 after. GPT-5.6 sol: Requests beyond the long-context threshold bill at 2× input / 1.5× output. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: Prompts over 200K tokens bill at $4 / $18. Grok 4.5: Requests over 200K tokens bill at 2×. Kimi K3: Always-on reasoning; output includes thinking tokens.
Batch discount is applied only to models whose provider offers an async batch tier. Cached-input pricing models the read price; cache-write surcharges (Anthropic) are not included. Long-context surcharges apply above provider thresholds and are noted per model.
FAQ
How much does the GPT-5 mini API cost?
$0.25 per 1M input tokens and $2 per 1M output tokens, with cached input at $0.025 per 1M. (Verified 2026-07-27.)
What does a month of GPT-5 mini cost in practice?
A medium workload of 50M input + 10M output tokens per month runs about $32.50/mo, or about $26.88/mo if half the input hits the prompt cache. Offline jobs can use the Batch API at 50% of standard.
How does prompt caching change GPT-5 mini pricing?
Input tokens served from the prompt cache bill at $0.025 per 1M — about 10% of the standard input price. Repeated prefixes like system prompts and few-shot examples benefit most.
Is GPT-5 mini cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Pro?
At the same medium workload, GPT-5 mini costs about $32.50/mo versus about $30.45/mo for DeepSeek DeepSeek V4 Pro. Also weigh quality, latency, and context window (400K vs 1M tokens).