How much does GPT-3.5 Turbo cost?

$0.5000 per million input tokens and $1.50 per million output tokens. On a typical chat turn of 1,500 input and 300 output tokens that is $0.001200 per request, or $120.00 per month at 100,000 requests. Read from OpenAI's own documentation on August 3, 2026.

Can I count GPT-3.5 Turbo tokens exactly?

Yes. GPT-3.5 Turbo uses the cl100k_base encoding, which is published and runs in a browser — so a count taken before you send is the number you will be billed for.

Why is output more expensive than input on GPT-3.5 Turbo?

Output costs 3.0 times input here. Input is processed in a single parallel pass, while output is generated one token at a time with a full pass over the model for each. That is why a model that answers concisely can be cheaper in production than one with a lower headline rate.

OpenAIlegacy

GPT-3.5 Turbo pricing

$0.5000 per million input tokens, $1.50 per million output. Read from OpenAI’s own documentation on August 3, 2026.

Input: $0.5000
Cached input: —
Output: $1.50
Context window: —
Token counting: Exact
Price verified: 2026-08-03

Source: OpenAI pricing documentation. Prices change without notice — verify before committing spend.

What GPT-3.5 Turbo costs on real work

Four workload shapes at 100,000 requests a month. The point of showing four is that the ranking between models changes depending on which one describes you.

GPT-3.5 Turbo cost by workload shape
Workload	In	Out	Per request	Per month
ClassificationShort input, one-word answer. Input-dominated.	500	50	$0.000325	$32.50
Chat turnA system prompt plus a few turns of history.	1,500	300	$0.001200	$120.00
Document summaryA long document in, a paragraph out.	20,000	800	$0.0112	$1,120.00
Code generationOutput-heavy — where output pricing dominates.	2,000	1,500	$0.003250	$325.00

Put your own numbers in the cost calculator, or measure a real prompt first in the token counter.

Counting tokens for GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-3.5 Turbo uses the cl100k_base encoding, which OpenAI publishes. That means a count taken before you send is exact — the same number the API bills you for.

The token counter runs that encoder in your browser, so nothing is uploaded and the figure needs no caveat.

Other OpenAI models

The tier question: is a cheaper model in the same family enough for your task?

Other OpenAI models compared with GPT-3.5 Turbo
Model	Input	Output	Context	Chat turn
GPT-3.5 Turbo — this page	$0.5000	$1.50	—	$0.001200
GPT-5.6 Sol	$5.00	$30.00	1.05M	$0.0165
GPT-5.6 Terra	$2.00	$12.00	1.05M	$0.006600
GPT-5.6 Luna	$0.2000	$1.20	1.05M	$0.000660
GPT-5.5	$5.00	$30.00	—	$0.0165
GPT-5.4	$2.50	$15.00	—	$0.008250
GPT-5.4 mini	$0.7500	$4.50	—	$0.002475

Alternatives from other providers

Models priced nearest to GPT-3.5 Turbo, not the cheapest on the market — those are the ones actually worth evaluating against it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does GPT-3.5 Turbo cost?: $0.5000 per million input tokens and $1.50 per million output tokens. On a typical chat turn of 1,500 input and 300 output tokens that is $0.001200 per request, or $120.00 per month at 100,000 requests. Read from OpenAI's own documentation on August 3, 2026.
Can I count GPT-3.5 Turbo tokens exactly?: Yes. GPT-3.5 Turbo uses the cl100k_base encoding, which is published and runs in a browser — so a count taken before you send is the number you will be billed for.
Why is output more expensive than input on GPT-3.5 Turbo?: Output costs 3.0 times input here. Input is processed in a single parallel pass, while output is generated one token at a time with a full pass over the model for each. That is why a model that answers concisely can be cheaper in production than one with a lower headline rate.