Breakeven · Last verified 2026-08-25

When do cross-region reads cost more than keeping a second copy?

Under the stated assumptions, once gb exceeds 569.2627 gb, the monthly total cost of Two-region copy, local reads falls below Single region plus cross-region reads.

Same curve as the chart
gb	Single region plus cross-region reads	Two-region copy, local reads
0	11.385	22.77
100	13.385	22.77
200	15.385	22.77
300	17.385	22.77
400	19.385	22.77
500	21.385	22.77
600	23.385	22.77
700	25.385	22.77
800	27.385	22.77
900	29.385	22.77
1000	31.385	22.77
1100	33.385	22.77
1200	35.385	22.77
1300	37.385	22.77
1400	39.385	22.77
1500	41.385	22.77
1600	43.385	22.77
1700	45.385	22.77
1800	47.385	22.77
1900	49.385	22.77
2000	51.385	22.77
2100	53.385	22.77
2200	55.385	22.77
2300	57.385	22.77
2400	59.385	22.77
2500	61.385	22.77
2600	63.385	22.77
2700	65.385	22.77
2800	67.385	22.77
2900	69.385	22.77
3000	71.385	22.77
3100	73.385	22.77
3200	75.385	22.77
3300	77.385	22.77
3400	79.385	22.77
3500	81.385	22.77
3600	83.385	22.77
3700	85.385	22.77
3800	87.385	22.77
3900	89.385	22.77
4000	91.385	22.77
4100	93.385	22.77
4200	95.385	22.77
4300	97.385	22.77
4400	99.385	22.77
4500	101.385	22.77
4600	103.385	22.77
4700	105.385	22.77
4800	107.385	22.77
4900	109.385	22.77
5000	111.385	22.77
5100	113.385	22.77
5200	115.385	22.77
5300	117.385	22.77
5400	119.385	22.77
5500	121.385	22.77
5600	123.385	22.77
5700	125.385	22.77
5800	127.385	22.77
5900	129.385	22.77
6000	131.385	22.77
6100	133.385	22.77
6200	135.385	22.77
6300	137.385	22.77
6400	139.385	22.77
6500	141.385	22.77
6600	143.385	22.77
6700	145.385	22.77
6800	147.385	22.77
6900	149.385	22.77
7000	151.385	22.77
7100	153.385	22.77
7200	155.385	22.77
7300	157.385	22.77
7400	159.385	22.77
7500	161.385	22.77
7600	163.385	22.77
7700	165.385	22.77
7800	167.385	22.77
7900	169.385	22.77
8000	171.385	22.77
8100	173.385	22.77
8200	175.385	22.77
8300	177.385	22.77
8400	179.385	22.77
8500	181.385	22.77
8600	183.385	22.77
8700	185.385	22.77
8800	187.385	22.77
8900	189.385	22.77
9000	191.385	22.77
9100	193.385	22.77
9200	195.385	22.77
9300	197.385	22.77
9400	199.385	22.77
9500	201.385	22.77
9600	203.385	22.77
9700	205.385	22.77
9800	207.385	22.77
9900	209.385	22.77
10000	211.385	22.77
10100	213.385	22.77
10200	215.385	22.77
10300	217.385	22.77
10400	219.385	22.77
10500	221.385	22.77
10600	223.385	22.77
10700	225.385	22.77
10800	227.385	22.77
10900	229.385	22.77
11000	231.385	22.77
11100	233.385	22.77
11200	235.385	22.77
11300	237.385	22.77
11400	239.385	22.77
11500	241.385	22.77
11600	243.385	22.77
11700	245.385	22.77
11800	247.385	22.77
11900	249.385	22.77
12000	251.385	22.77
12100	253.385	22.77
12200	255.385	22.77
12300	257.385	22.77
12400	259.385	22.77
12500	261.385	22.77
12600	263.385	22.77
12700	265.385	22.77
12800	267.385	22.77
12900	269.385	22.77
13000	271.385	22.77
13100	273.385	22.77
13200	275.385	22.77
13300	277.385	22.77
13400	279.385	22.77
13500	281.385	22.77
13600	283.385	22.77
13700	285.385	22.77
13800	287.385	22.77
13900	289.385	22.77
14000	291.385	22.77
14100	293.385	22.77
14200	295.385	22.77
14300	297.385	22.77
14400	299.385	22.77
14500	301.385	22.77
14600	303.385	22.77
14700	305.385	22.77
14800	307.385	22.77
14900	309.385	22.77
15000	311.385	22.77
15100	313.385	22.77
15200	315.385	22.77
15300	317.385	22.77
15400	319.385	22.77
15500	321.385	22.77
15600	323.385	22.77
15700	325.385	22.77
15800	327.385	22.77
15900	329.385	22.77
16000	331.385	22.77
16100	333.385	22.77
16200	335.385	22.77
16300	337.385	22.77
16400	339.385	22.77
16500	341.385	22.77
16600	343.385	22.77
16700	345.385	22.77
16800	347.385	22.77
16900	349.385	22.77
17000	351.385	22.77
17100	353.385	22.77
17200	355.385	22.77
17300	357.385	22.77
17400	359.385	22.77
17500	361.385	22.77
17600	363.385	22.77
17700	365.385	22.77
17800	367.385	22.77
17900	369.385	22.77
18000	371.385	22.77
18100	373.385	22.77
18200	375.385	22.77
18300	377.385	22.77
18400	379.385	22.77
18500	381.385	22.77
18600	383.385	22.77
18700	385.385	22.77
18800	387.385	22.77
18900	389.385	22.77
19000	391.385	22.77
19100	393.385	22.77
19200	395.385	22.77
19300	397.385	22.77
19400	399.385	22.77
19500	401.385	22.77
19600	403.385	22.77
19700	405.385	22.77
19800	407.385	22.77
19900	409.385	22.77
20000	411.385	22.77

Fixed assumptions
Metric	Value	Unit	Source type	Derivation	Link
Bytes stored in each copy	500	GB	Author assumption assumption	Each replica holds the same 500 GB. Option B therefore pays two storage SKUs.	—

Models S3 Standard capacity in two regions versus paying the us-east-1 cross-region transfer SKU for remote reads. It ignores replication PUT volume, consistency lag, and CloudFront. Writes still go to one region in this sketch.

Scenarios: Backup and archive Internal microservice traffic