State of AI API Costs: June 2026

June 2026: two Anthropic launches, one Google cut

June was Anthropic's month. Two model launches reshaped the pricing landscape at both ends of the spectrum.

Key events:

• -Jun 1: OpenAI cut GPT 5.5 input from $6.00 to $5.00/MTok (17% reduction)
• -Jun 9: Anthropic launched Claude Fable 5 at $10.00/$50.00 per MTok
• -Jun 10: Google cut Gemini 3.5 Flash output from $0.75 to $0.60/MTok
• -Jun 30: Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 5 at $3.00/$15.00 per MTok

Claude Fable 5: a new ceiling

Fable 5 is the most expensive model in the registry at $10.00 input and $50.00 output. It also holds the highest reasoning confidence at 98/100. The 1M context window matches Gemini and exceeds Opus at 200K.

For teams that require peak reasoning quality, Fable 5 sets a new benchmark. For everyone else, it widened the gap between flagship and mid-tier pricing.

Claude Sonnet 5: the mid-tier upgrade

Sonnet 5 replaces Sonnet 4-6 as Anthropic's primary mid-tier model. It scores higher on every task type while matching the same $3.00/$15.00 price point.

Introductory pricing of $2.00/$10.00 through August 31 makes it temporarily the cheapest mid-tier option. Teams should lock in workloads during this window.

GPT 5.5 reaches $5.00 parity

OpenAI's June 1 cut brought GPT 5.5 input from $6.00 to $5.00/MTok. That matches Claude Opus 4.8 exactly. The flagship tier now clusters at $5.00 input across providers.

Output pricing still differs: Opus at $25.00 versus GPT 5.5 at $30.00 per MTok.

The June pricing snapshot

Flagship tier (June 30):

| Model | Input/MTok | Output/MTok | |-------|-----------|-------------| | Claude Fable 5 | $10.00 | $50.00 | | GPT 5.5 | $5.00 | $30.00 | | Claude Opus 4.8 | $5.00 | $25.00 |

Mid tier (June 30):

| Model | Input/MTok | Output/MTok | |-------|-----------|-------------| | Claude Sonnet 5 | $3.00 ($2 intro) | $15.00 ($10 intro) | | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3.00 | $15.00 | | GPT 5.4 | $2.50 | $15.00 | | Gemini 3.1 Pro | $2.00 | $12.00 |

Fast tier (June 30):

| Model | Input/MTok | Output/MTok | |-------|-----------|-------------| | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $1.50 | | Gemini 3 Flash | $0.50 | $3.00 | | Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1.00 | $5.00 | | Gemini 3.5 Flash | $1.50 | $9.00 |

What to watch in July

OpenAI's GPT 5.6 family is expected to launch soon. Three tiers would give OpenAI a complete flagship, mid, and fast lineup to match Anthropic and Google.

The mid tier is now the most competitive segment. Five models from three providers sit between $2.00 and $3.00/MTok input.

See how June's changes affect your spend at /teardown, or start tracking with a free dashboard.