LLM prices / Cheapest / Translation
AI API prices · 29 models fit · checked Oct 23, 2026
Cheapest AI model for translation
Short answerClaude Haiku 5.5 and GPT-6 Luna tie for the cheapest current model for a translation at $0.65 per 1,000, standard price. At 10,000 a month that is $6.50. Next: GPT-5.6 Luna at $1.52 and DeepSeek Flash at $1.62 per 1,000. 29 of 29 current models fit this job. Ranked by cost only; we don't score quality.
Every model that fits, cheapest first
One translation = a 1,000-token passage in and about 1,100 tokens out (translations run a little longer than the source). Each model is billed the cheapest way its price list allows.
| # | Model | Per 1,000 | 10,000 a month | 100,000 a month | Billed | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claude Haiku 5.5Anthropic | $0.65 | $6.50 | $65.00 | standard | 1M |
| 2 | GPT-6 LunaOpenAI | $0.65 | $6.50 | $65.00 | standard | 1.05M |
| 3 | GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAI | $1.52 | $15.20 | $152 | standard | 1.05M |
| 4 | DeepSeek FlashDeepSeek | $1.62 | $16.20 | $162 | standard | 1M |
| 5 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-LiteGoogle | $1.90 | $19.00 | $190 | standard | 1.05M |
| 6 | Gemini 3.5 Flash-LiteGoogle | $3.05 | $30.50 | $305 | standard | 1.05M |
| 7 | Gemini 3 Flash PreviewpreviewGoogle | $3.80 | $38.00 | $380 | standard | 1.05M |
| 8 | Gemini 3.8 FlashGoogle | $4.88 | $48.75 | $488 | standard | 1.05M |
| 9 | Gemini 3.6 FlashGoogle | $4.88 | $48.75 | $488 | standard | 1.05M |
| 10 | DeepSeek V4 ProDeepSeek | $5.68 | $56.76 | $568 | standard | 1M |
| 11 | GPT-5.4 miniOpenAI | $5.70 | $57.00 | $570 | standard | 400K |
| 12 | Claude Sonnet 5.5Anthropic | $13.00 | $130 | $1,300 | standard | 1M |
| 13 | GPT-6.1 SolOpenAI | $13.00 | $130 | $1,300 | standard | 1.05M |
| 14 | GPT-6 SolOpenAI | $13.00 | $130 | $1,300 | standard | 1.05M |
| 15 | Gemini 4 ArgonGoogle | $13.00 | $130 | $1,300 | standard | 1.05M |
| 16 | GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI | $15.20 | $152 | $1,520 | standard | 1.05M |
| 17 | Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewpreviewGoogle | $15.20 | $152 | $1,520 | standard | 1.05M |
| 18 | GPT-5.2OpenAI | $17.15 | $172 | $1,715 | standard | 400K |
| 19 | GPT-5.4OpenAI | $19.00 | $190 | $1,900 | standard | 1.05M |
| 20 | Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic | $26.00 | $260 | $2,600 | standard | 1M |
| 21 | GPT-5.6 SolOpenAI | $26.00 | $260 | $2,600 | standard | 1.05M |
| 22 | GPT-5.5OpenAI | $38.00 | $380 | $3,800 | standard | 1.05M |
| 23 | chat-latestOpenAI | $38.00 | $380 | $3,800 | standard | 400K |
| 24 | Claude Fable 5.1Anthropic | $65.00 | $650 | $6,500 | standard | 1M |
| 25 | GPT-6 AstraOpenAI | $65.00 | $650 | $6,500 | standard | 1.05M |
| 26 | GPT-5.6 CyberOpenAI | $95.00 | $950 | $9,500 | standard | 400K |
| 27 | GPT-5.2 ProOpenAI | $206 | $2,058 | $20,580 | standard | 400K |
| 28 | GPT-5.5 ProOpenAI | $228 | $2,280 | $22,800 | standard | 1.05M |
| 29 | GPT-5.4 ProOpenAI | $228 | $2,280 | $22,800 | standard | 1.05M |
What moves the answer
- Output price matters most here. The job writes about as much as it reads (1,100 out for 1,000 in), so a model with cheap input but pricey output loses.
- Watch long prompts. 13 of these models charge more once a prompt passes a size threshold (for example Claude Haiku 5.5 above 100,000 tokens); this job stays under it, a bigger one may not.
Method
Prices: each provider's own pricing page, checked Oct 23, 2026. Fits: current on the provider's model page (not deprecated, legacy or shut down), and a context window that holds the request; checked Oct 24, 2026. Cache writes are not counted. This page ranks price only; quality on your task is a separate test. People search for this: Google suggests "cheapest ai model for translation".