The engineers who bring a three-year TCO to the budget conversation are the ones who get decisions closed in their favor quicker.
Arc 4 · AI and Architecture · Build your own bill of materials.
Most AI infrastructure budgets are built around one cost category — the model API bill. This calculator helps you build the complete picture. Start with the five pre-loaded categories, edit them to match your context, add your own rows, and generate your personalised bill of materials.
Day 20 asked whether your agents should remember anything. Day 21 asks the question budget owners actually care about: what does all of this cost to run — this month, this year, and over three?
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Section 1 of 3
The Cost Calculator
Your bill of materials
Edit the pre-loaded rows, delete what doesn't apply, and add your own components. Every number updates in real time.
Component
Qty
Unit
Unit Price
Maps To
Monthly Total
Monthly subtotal$0.00
× 12 = Year 1 total$0.00
× 36 = 3-Year total$0.00
Unplanned scaling buffer
How much extra should you plan for?
Conservative (15%)+$0.00 Year 1 · +$0.00 3-Year
Moderate (18%)+$0.00 Year 1 · +$0.00 3-Year
Likely (20%)+$0.00 Year 1 · +$0.00 3-Year
Reality (25%)+$0.00 Year 1 · +$0.00 3-Year
Unit prices are illustrative starting points. Actual costs vary by provider, tier, and usage pattern. Verify current pricing with your providers before budgeting.
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Section 2 of 3
Your Receipt
THE AI INFRASTRUCTURE CAFÉ
Chez Production Scale · Est. 2024
Table: POC → Production
ITEMQTYUNITMONTHLY
Monthly subtotal$0.00
× 12 months (Year 1)$0.00
× 36 months (3-Year)$0.00
YR 1 EXTRA3YR EXTRA
Conservative (15%)+$0.00+$0.00
Moderate (18%)+$0.00+$0.00
Likely (20%)+$0.00+$0.00
Reality (25%)+$0.00+$0.00
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Section 3 of 3
Your Cost Map
Each component is matched to where it actually runs — based on what you called it.
Your components, mapped to the infrastructure that runs them
The engineers who bring a three-year TCO to the budget conversation are the ones who get decisions closed in their favor quicker.
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This is a planning tool, not a financial model
Costs vary significantly by provider, region, usage pattern, and negotiated rates. Use this as a starting point for the conversation — not the final number.