GPT-3.5 Turbo API Pricing
OpenAI · context window 16K · prices updated 2026-08-02
What real workloads cost on GPT-3.5 Turbo
| Workload | Per request | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 1K short requests/day (500 in / 150 out) | $0.0005 | $14.25 |
| Support chatbot, 500 convs/day (~5K in / 1.4K out per conv) | $0.0046 | $69.00 |
| Document pipeline, 10K docs/day (3K in / 500 out) | $0.0023 | $675 |
Model your exact traffic in the API cost calculator — it preloads GPT-3.5 Turbo with caching and batch options.
Cheaper alternatives
More OpenAI models
Frequently asked questions
› How much does the GPT-3.5 Turbo API cost?
GPT-3.5 Turbo costs $0.5 per million input tokens and $1.50 per million output tokens. In practice, a typical short request (500 tokens in, 150 out) costs about $0.0005.
› What does 1,000 requests per day cost on GPT-3.5 Turbo?
At 500 input + 150 output tokens per request, 1,000 requests/day costs about $14.25 per month. Heavier workloads scale linearly — use our API cost calculator to model your exact traffic.
› How can I reduce GPT-3.5 Turbo costs?
Three levers, in order of impact: (1) route routine requests to a cheaper tier and keep GPT-3.5 Turbo for hard cases; (2) enable prompt caching, which typically halves chatbot bills; (3) use the batch API for non-urgent jobs at a ~50% discount.
› Is GPT-3.5 Turbo worth the price?
It depends on task difficulty. Flagship models earn their premium on complex reasoning, coding, and high-stakes output; mini/flash tiers handle classification, extraction and routine chat at 10–30× lower cost. Benchmark a sample of your real workload on both before committing.