How many tokens does a 5-point story take to build with AI?
A 5-point user story typically takes about 945,000 tokens to build with an AI coding agent (roughly 420,000–2,100,000 depending on complexity), about $2.70 at today's GPT-4o prices ($1.20–$6.00). This is the build-time (developer) cost, not the cost of running the finished feature.
A 5-point story is a proper feature: multiple files, real unknowns, and several rounds of agent iteration and fixes before it's mergeable. Token usage is where AI build cost starts to be worth budgeting for.
Token & cost ranges
Cost uses GPT-4o at current prices. Verified 29 July 2026.
| Scenario | Input tokens | Output tokens | Total tokens | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (simple) | 400,000 | 20,000 | 420,000 | $1.20 |
| Typical | 900,000 | 45,000 | 945,000 | $2.70 |
| High (complex) | 2,000,000 | 100,000 | 2,100,000 | $6.00 |
Typical cost by model
The same typical token estimate priced across a few common coding models.
| Model | Typical cost | Range (low–high) |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | $2.70 | $1.20 – $6.00 |
| GPT-4o mini | $0.1620 | $0.0720 – $0.3600 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3.38 | $1.50 – $7.50 |
| Gemini 2.0 Flash | $0.1080 | $0.0480 – $0.2400 |
How we estimate this
A 5-point story is a multi-file feature with meaningful unknowns and several iterations before it passes review. Input tokens dominate because an agent re-sends file context on every turn; output is the generated code, diffs and tests. Treat these as planning ranges, not a quote — your real usage depends on codebase size, model, prompt caching and how many iterations it takes.
Examples of this size
- A new screen end to end (UI, API, tests)
- Auth flow addition (login + session handling)
- A moderately complex data model change
Estimate it with your own model
Plug in your model, complexity and prompt-caching to get a tailored range.
Frequently asked questions
How many tokens does a 5-point user story take to build with AI?+
A 5-point user story typically takes about 945,000 tokens to build with an AI coding agent (roughly 420,000–2,100,000 depending on complexity), about $2.70 at today's GPT-4o prices ($1.20–$6.00). This is the build-time (developer) cost, not the cost of running the finished feature.
Is this the cost to build it or to run it?+
This is the build-time (developer) cost — the tokens an AI coding agent burns while implementing the work. Running the finished feature is a separate, usually much smaller per-request cost.
Why is the range so wide?+
A 5-point story is a multi-file feature with meaningful unknowns and several iterations before it passes review. Input tokens dominate because an agent re-sends file context on every turn; output is the generated code, diffs and tests. Treat these as planning ranges, not a quote — your real usage depends on codebase size, model, prompt caching and how many iterations it takes.
How can I lower the cost?+
Split large work into smaller pieces, enable prompt caching so re-sent context is billed at the cheaper cache-read rate, and use a cheaper model for routine steps. Try your own model in the Cost to build X estimator.