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LLM Pricing Statistics (2026)

Updated July 2, 2026 · Auto-generated from BenchLM's live dataset on every data refresh

As of July 2, 2026, BenchLM tracks live API pricing for 120 AI models.

Models with tracked API pricing

120

As of July 2, 2026, BenchLM tracks live API pricing for 120 AI models.

Median price per 1M tokens (input / output)

$1.00 / $3.49

As of July 2, 2026, the median LLM API price across 120 models tracked by BenchLM is $1.00 per 1M input tokens and $3.49 per 1M output tokens.

Spread between cheapest and most expensive model

2625x

As of July 2, 2026, the most expensive LLM API tracked by BenchLM (o1-pro) costs roughly 2625x more per blended 1M tokens than the cheapest (Ministral 3 3B).

Cheapest frontier-tier model (top 10 overall)

GLM-5.2 ($1.40 in / $4.40 out)

As of July 2, 2026, the cheapest model in BenchLM's overall top 10 is GLM-5.2 at $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens.

Open-weight median discount vs proprietary

82% cheaper

As of July 2, 2026, open-weight models on BenchLM have a median blended API price 82% lower than proprietary models ($0.48 vs $2.63 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input:output ratio).

Methodology & sources

Prices are USD per 1M tokens from BenchLM's pricing dataset (120 models, updated July 2, 2026). "Blended" price assumes a 3:1 input:output token ratio. "Frontier" means the top 10 models on BenchLM's overall ranking.

Cite these statistics

Every number on this page is generated from BenchLM's live dataset and refreshed with each data update. Link any statistic directly using its anchor, or cite the page as:

BenchLM.ai, "LLM Statistics" (July 2, 2026), https://benchlm.ai/stats/llm-pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an LLM API cost per million tokens?

As of July 2, 2026, the median price across 120 models tracked by BenchLM is $1.00 per 1M input tokens and $3.49 per 1M output tokens, with roughly a 2625x spread between the cheapest and most expensive models.

Are open-weight models cheaper than proprietary models?

Yes. As of July 2, 2026, open-weight models tracked by BenchLM have a median blended API price 82% lower than proprietary models ($0.48 vs $2.63 per 1M tokens).

What is the cheapest frontier-quality model?

As of July 2, 2026, the cheapest model in BenchLM's overall top 10 is GLM-5.2, at $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens.

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