AWS data-transfer charges are confusing because there isn’t one rate — there are several, depending on where the data goes. Here’s how to estimate it before the invoice arrives.
Rates below are list prices as of June 2026 and are estimates — verify on the AWS pricing pages.
The three buckets
| Transfer type | Typical rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Internet egress (out) | ~$0.09/GB | First 100 GB/month free; tapers to ~$0.05/GB at high volume |
| Cross-region | ~$0.02/GB | Between AWS regions |
| Inter-AZ (within a region) | ~$0.01/GB each way | Often overlooked; charged both directions |
| Internet ingress (in) | $0.00 | Inbound is free |
Step-by-step estimate
- List every data flow. For each, note source → destination and whether it crosses the internet, a region boundary or an AZ boundary.
- Estimate monthly GB for each flow (CloudWatch
NetworkOut, ALB/CloudFront metrics, or app logs help). - Apply the matching rate from the table. Subtract the 100 GB free tier from internet egress only.
- Sum them. Internet egress usually dominates.
Worked example
A web service serving 5 TB/month to users, with a database replicating 500 GB/month across AZs:
| Flow | GB | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet egress | 5,120 − 100 free = 5,020 | $0.09 | ~$452 |
| Inter-AZ replication | 500 (×2 directions) = 1,000 | $0.01 | ~$10 |
| Total | ~$462/mo |
The internet egress dwarfs everything — which is exactly why egress fees matter so much.
Find it in your current bill
In Cost Explorer, group by Usage Type and look for line items containing DataTransfer — DataTransfer-Out-Bytes is internet egress, DataTransfer-Regional-Bytes is inter-AZ, and inter-region items show cross-region transfer.
How to cut it
- Front your origin with CloudFront or an external CDN; cached responses cut origin egress.
- Move object storage to Cloudflare R2 (free egress) or Backblaze B2 behind a CDN.
- Keep chatty services in the same AZ to avoid inter-AZ charges.
Try the calculator
Plug your egress GB into the egress / data-transfer calculator to compare AWS against free-egress alternatives, and see the full egress comparison. All figures are estimates — confirm on the AWS pricing pages.