How much do few-shot examples add to my prompt cost?
Need to estimate the cost of few-shot examples in a prompt? Tokens are the unit AI providers bill in, and getting the count wrong throws off every cost estimate. This page helps teams using few-shot prompting get an accurate count and the cost that follows from it.
Results update automatically as you type.
- Example tokens
- 750 tokens
- Added cost / request
- $0.000937
- Added cost / month
- $140.63
Why this isn't trivial
The part people underestimate: each example is resent on every request, so a handful of long examples can dominate input cost. In practice the biggest savings come from using fewer, shorter examples or fine-tuning instead, so it is worth modelling before you commit.
How it's calculated
We estimate this by multiplying example tokens by request volume at the input rate. Every figure uses the current provider prices baked into the site (reviewed daily), and you can override any input to match your own assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Do examples cost every request?+
Yes — few-shot examples are part of the prompt, billed each time.
When should I fine-tune instead?+
When high volume makes resending examples costlier than one-time training.
Are these prices up to date?+
Yes. The model prices behind this calculator are refreshed and reviewed daily, so your estimate reflects current provider rates rather than a stale snapshot.
Related
Estimates for planning. Pricing data last reviewed 28 July 2026.