Understanding Terraform's Azure Cost Estimator

Problem

Overview

Terraform's Azure cost estimator provides a general estimate of the cost of Azure resources defined in a Terraform configuration. The tool maps these resources to their corresponding Azure services and uses Azure's public pricing information to generate an estimate.

While this feature is valuable for initial budget planning, it is crucial to understand its limitations. The estimates provided are based on general public pricing and should be used as a guide.

The cost estimator does not account for:

• Specific pricing agreements, such as an Enterprise Agreement.
• Discounts from programs like Reserved Instances.
• Other account-specific pricing adjustments.

Recommendation

For more precise cost predictions that incorporate your organization's specific pricing agreements and reservations, HashiCorp recommends using Azure's native cost management tools. These tools provide a more detailed and accurate view of potential Azure costs.

Additional Information

For more information, refer to the official Azure Cost Management documentation.