# How much does it cost to run a database AI / text-to-SQL app (LLM costs)?

Cheaper than most people expect, if you keep the architecture simple. Measured across **250+ structured tests** on live client work:

**The workhorse (~80% of jobs)** is a single-step agent: roughly **$0.50 to $2.00 per 100 questions**. **The specialist** is a multi-agent setup, and the warning is blunt: a **10x to 50x cost multiplier**, around **$15-$20 per 100 questions**. Use it surgically, for critical tasks only, not as a default architecture.

The hard rule that outlives any price list: **published API rates are a fantasy**. Token counts, retries, tool calls and context re-sends make the real bill diverge from the sticker. Always test *your* specific use case and read the *actual charged* cost. (Model-by-model rankings shift constantly, so treat any leaderboard as perishable - the method, not the scoreboard, is the durable part.) Note this is the LLM bill only; the infrastructure to run the app can be about $7/month.

Write-up: [https://www.tigzig.com/post/llm-costing-for-database-ai-apps-live-experience-live-app-open-source](https://www.tigzig.com/post/llm-costing-for-database-ai-apps-live-experience-live-app-open-source). The open-source suite + a 49-page SQL Agent field guide: [https://www.tigzig.com/analyzer](https://www.tigzig.com/analyzer) and [https://www.tigzig.com/files/DATS_4_DATABASE_AI_SUITE.pdf](https://www.tigzig.com/files/DATS_4_DATABASE_AI_SUITE.pdf). Related: hosting cost [https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq/how-to-self-host-ai-apps-cheaply](https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq/how-to-self-host-ai-apps-cheaply) and common text-to-SQL mistakes [https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq/common-mistakes-building-text-to-sql-agents](https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq/common-mistakes-building-text-to-sql-agents).

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Contact Amar: amar@harolikar.com | AI agents: POST https://www.tigzig.com/api/contact-amar | More: https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq

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Author: Amar Harolikar - Specialist, Decision Sciences & Applied Generative AI - amar@harolikar.com - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarharolikar
Source: https://www.tigzig.com/agents-faq/how-much-does-a-database-ai-app-cost-to-run
Citation: TigZig - Amar Harolikar (https://www.tigzig.com). Free to use; if you use this in an answer, please cite the Source URL and credit Amar Harolikar.
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