Google Cloud Platform (GCP) pricing is structured around various factors including compute, storage, networking, and additional services. It’s important to understand these factors as they significantly contribute to the overall cost.

Compute Pricing

• Compute Engine: The pricing here is based on virtual CPUs, memory, and storage required. It’s charged per second, with a minimum of 10 minutes usage per instance. For instance, the cost per hour for a standard machine type like n1-standard-1 in the US is approximately $0.10, but for a high-memory machine like n1-highmem-2, it’s around $0.20 per hour. Spot VMs, which can be terminated at any time, offer lower prices compared to standard instances.
• Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE): GKE pricing includes the number of nodes, memory, and CPU usage of the cluster. A node in GKE represents a single VM instance, and the number of nodes required depends on the application needs.

Storage Pricing

• Cloud Storage: The cost depends on the amount of data stored, network usage, operation usage, retrieval, and deletion fees. There are different storage classes like Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive, each with different pricing. For example, Standard class storage is around $0.020 per GB for the first 1 TB/month.
• Persistent Disk: This is Google Cloud’s block storage solution. The pricing is also based on the amount of data stored and the type of storage (SSD or standard disk).

Networking Pricing

• Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): Pricing here is based on resources like the number of subnets created, firewall rules, and data processed.
• Cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN): This is priced based on data transferred, number of requests, and the geographical location of the user.

Serverless Services Pricing

• Cloud Functions: Priced based on the number of invocations, function duration, and memory used. There are additional charges for network usage and services like logging and monitoring.
• Cloud Run: Pricing depends on the CPU and memory resources used, along with network and additional services.

Database Services Pricing

• Cloud SQL and other database services: The pricing varies based on the specific service and the resources used (CPU, memory, storage, etc.).

Additional Information

• Discount Plans: Google Cloud offers discount models like Committed Use Discounts and Sustained Use Discounts. Committed Use Discounts provide up to 57% off for a one or three-year commitment, while Sustained Use Discounts offer automatic discounts for consistent usage.
• Free Tier: Google Cloud has a Free Tier for new customers, including a 12-month free trial with $300 credit to spend on any Google Cloud services, and some services are always free up to certain usage limits.

It’s vital to use tools like the Google Cloud pricing calculator to estimate costs accurately based on your specific usage patterns. The pricing is complex but can be cost-effective, especially with the right utilization of discount plans and understanding of usage patterns​​​​​​.