Definition
GB-month is a storage billing unit that multiplies the average gigabytes stored by the number of months.
Why it matters
It is the core unit for most storage pricing and is the baseline for cost and margin modeling.
Pricing implications
Combine GB-month with request and retrieval fees to avoid underpricing heavy-access workloads.
Measurement tips
Track average stored data daily and apply the correct storage class and region pricing.
Checklist
- Define how average storage is calculated.
- Separate storage class costs (standard, archive).
- Include replication and backup multipliers.
- Add request and retrieval fees.
- Apply regional rate differences.
- Recompute when retention policies change.
- Validate with provider billing reports.
- Document unit assumptions.
Examples
- 500 GB average storage for 1 month = 500 GB-months.