Citable dataset
LLM Pricing Statistics (2026)
Updated July 23, 2026 · Auto-generated from BenchLM's live dataset on every data refresh
Frontier LLM token prices are 88% below their March 2023 level as of July 2026, per the BenchLM Token Price Index (12 on a base of 100).
Key statistics
- Frontier LLM token prices are 88% below their March 2023 level as of July 2026, per the BenchLM Token Price Index (12 on a base of 100).
- Over the 12 months to July 2026, the BenchLM Token Price Index shows frontier LLM token prices up 36.4% year-over-year, while mid-tier prices went down 35.8%.
- As of July 23, 2026, BenchLM tracks live API pricing for 129 AI models.
- As of July 23, 2026, the median LLM API price across 129 models tracked by BenchLM is $1.00 per 1M input tokens and $4.00 per 1M output tokens.
- As of July 23, 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).
- As of July 23, 2026, the cheapest model in BenchLM's overall top 10 is Grok 4.5 at $2.00 per 1M input tokens and $6.00 per 1M output tokens.
- As of July 23, 2026, open-weight models on BenchLM have a median blended API price 83% lower than proprietary models ($0.50 vs $3.00 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input:output ratio).
Frontier LLM token prices are 88% below their March 2023 level as of July 2026, per the BenchLM Token Price Index (12 on a base of 100).
−88% (index: 12)
Over the 12 months to July 2026, the BenchLM Token Price Index shows frontier LLM token prices up 36.4% year-over-year, while mid-tier prices went down 35.8%.
frontier +36.4%, mid-tier -35.8%
As of July 23, 2026, BenchLM tracks live API pricing for 129 AI models.
129
As of July 23, 2026, the median LLM API price across 129 models tracked by BenchLM is $1.00 per 1M input tokens and $4.00 per 1M output tokens.
$1.00 / $4.00
As of July 23, 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).
2625x
As of July 23, 2026, the cheapest model in BenchLM's overall top 10 is Grok 4.5 at $2.00 per 1M input tokens and $6.00 per 1M output tokens.
Grok 4.5 ($2.00 in / $6.00 out)
Methodology & sources
Prices are USD per 1M tokens from BenchLM's pricing dataset (129 models, updated July 23, 2026). "Blended" price assumes a 3:1 input:output token ratio. "Frontier" means the top 10 models on BenchLM's overall ranking. Time-series figures come from the BenchLM Token Price Index (median blended price of flagship models, base March 2023 = 100).
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 23, 2026), https://benchlm.ai/stats/llm-pricingFrequently Asked Questions
How much does an LLM API cost per million tokens?
As of July 23, 2026, the median price across 129 models tracked by BenchLM is $1.00 per 1M input tokens and $4.00 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 23, 2026, open-weight models tracked by BenchLM have a median blended API price 83% lower than proprietary models ($0.50 vs $3.00 per 1M tokens).
What is the cheapest frontier-quality model?
As of July 23, 2026, the cheapest model in BenchLM's overall top 10 is Grok 4.5, at $2.00 per 1M input tokens and $6.00 per 1M output tokens.
How much have LLM token prices dropped since GPT-4?
Frontier LLM token prices are 88% below their March 2023 (GPT-4 launch) level as of July 2026, per the BenchLM Token Price Index — though the last 12 months moved up, not down, at the frontier.
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