Local AI or cloud GPU: what does it cost?

Running AI on your own machine costs money up front and very little after. Renting a cloud GPU needs no hardware purchase and adds up by the hour. Enter your own numbers to see where the two cross. The cloud rates come from RunPod's public price list, each with its source and the date we read it.

Local against cloud

Change any number. The cloud rate fills in when you pick a GPU from the list, and you can overwrite it.

Cloud GPU Enter my own rate RunPod B300 288 GB (Community Cloud) $6.94/hr RunPod B300 288 GB (Secure Cloud) $7.89/hr RunPod B200 180 GB (Community Cloud) $5.98/hr RunPod B200 180 GB (Secure Cloud) $6.79/hr RunPod H200 141 GB (Community Cloud) $3.59/hr RunPod H200 141 GB (Secure Cloud) $4.59/hr RunPod RTX Pro 6000 96 GB (Community Cloud) $1.69/hr RunPod RTX Pro 6000 96 GB (Secure Cloud) $2.09/hr RunPod H100 NVL 94 GB (Community Cloud) $2.59/hr RunPod H100 NVL 94 GB (Secure Cloud) $3.19/hr RunPod A100 PCIe 80 GB (Community Cloud) $1.19/hr RunPod A100 SXM 80 GB (Community Cloud) $1.39/hr RunPod A100 PCIe 80 GB (Secure Cloud) $1.59/hr RunPod A100 SXM 80 GB (Secure Cloud) $1.59/hr RunPod H100 PCIe 80 GB (Community Cloud) $1.99/hr RunPod H100 SXM 80 GB (Community Cloud) $2.69/hr RunPod H100 PCIe 80 GB (Secure Cloud) $2.89/hr RunPod H100 SXM 80 GB (Secure Cloud) $3.49/hr RunPod RTX A6000 48 GB (Community Cloud) $0.33/hr RunPod A40 48 GB (Community Cloud) $0.35/hr RunPod A40 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.49/hr RunPod RTX A6000 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.53/hr RunPod L40 48 GB (Community Cloud) $0.69/hr RunPod RTX 6000 Ada 48 GB (Community Cloud) $0.74/hr RunPod L40S 48 GB (Community Cloud) $0.79/hr RunPod L40 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.82/hr RunPod RTX 6000 Ada 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.84/hr RunPod Pro 6000 MIG 48GB 48 GB (Community Cloud) $1.00/hr RunPod L40S 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $1.09/hr RunPod Pro 6000 MIG 48GB 48 GB (Secure Cloud) $1.09/hr RunPod RTX 5090 32 GB (Community Cloud) $0.69/hr RunPod RTX 5090 32 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.99/hr RunPod RTX A5000 24 GB (Community Cloud) $0.16/hr RunPod RTX 3090 24 GB (Community Cloud) $0.22/hr RunPod RTX A5000 24 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.27/hr RunPod RTX 4090 24 GB (Community Cloud) $0.34/hr RunPod L4 24 GB (Community Cloud) $0.44/hr RunPod L4 24 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.49/hr RunPod Pro 6000 MIG 24GB 24 GB (Community Cloud) $0.50/hr RunPod RTX 3090 24 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.50/hr RunPod Pro 6000 MIG 24GB 24 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.59/hr RunPod RTX 4090 24 GB (Secure Cloud) $0.74/hr

Cloud price per hour (USD)

Hours of use per month

Months to compare

Hardware you would buy (USD)

Running cost of your machine per month (USD)

How the calculator works

• Cloud cost per month is the hourly rate times the hours you use it each month.
• Local cost over the period is the hardware price plus the running cost per month times the months.
• Break-even is the hardware price divided by the cloud cost per month minus your local running cost per month. If renting costs less than your running cost, there is no break-even.

Cloud GPU prices

Read from the provider's public price list on 2026-10-07, with the source for each row. Prices are per hour for an on-demand pod, in US dollars, and change often.

What it leaves out

• The calculator counts only what you type in. It leaves out storage and network charges, your time to set things up, what the hardware could resell for, and electricity unless you enter it.
• A rented GPU and a laptop are not the same speed or size. Choose a cloud GPU with at least the memory your model needs; the finder shows that.
• Prices change. We hide any price older than 45 days. Check the provider before you rent.
• Only RunPod is listed so far, in two tiers: Secure Cloud and Community Cloud.