RDS monthly cost has five components. Most teams look only at the instance line item and miss storage, backup, and Extended Support charges that can each materially change the total bill. This guide provides the complete per-engine cost breakdown with exact rates for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server, the formulas to calculate every billing component, worked examples for three production configurations, and the Reserved Instance discount that changes each engine’s cost most.
All rates: US East (N. Virginia), June 2026. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) and AWS official pricing pages. Verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ — rates change.
See exactly what you’re overpaying on RDS in under 60 seconds. Try the Calculator for free →
The Five RDS Billing Components
Every RDS bill is the sum of these five line items. Not all five appear on every bill — if you have no Extended Support engine versions and backup storage within the free tier, only the first three apply.
| Component | Formula | Free / Included |
| Instance compute | On-demand or RI rate x hours running (per-second billing, 10-minute minimum) | Free tier: 750 hrs/month db.t3.micro for 12 months (new accounts) |
| Storage | GB provisioned x $0.115/month (gp3). Auto-scaled or fixed allocation. | None — all provisioned storage is billed |
| I/O (gp3 baseline) | 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput included in gp3 rate. Additional IOPS: $0.02/IOPS-month provisioned. | 3,000 IOPS included with gp3 at no extra charge |
| Backup storage | GB of backup storage above the provisioned DB size x ~$0.095/GB-month. | Free up to 100% of provisioned DB storage size |
| Extended Support | vCPUs x Extended Support rate x hours. Applies to EOL engine versions only. | Not free. Not discounted by RIs. Added on top of on-demand or reserved rate. |
Source: AWS official RDS pricing page (aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/), Usage.ai live RDS RI blog (April 2026). Verify before estimating — rates change.
Also read: RDS Reserved Instances: complete engine-by-engine RI pricing and commitment guideÂ
Engine Pricing: MySQL vs PostgreSQL vs SQL Server
MySQL: The Cost-Efficient Baseline
RDS MySQL is the cheapest production-grade relational database engine on RDS. MySQL and MariaDB are priced identically for equivalent instance classes — there is no licensing premium. MySQL supports the full gp3 storage model, read replicas with size flexibility for RI coverage, and all RDS features including Performance Insights, Enhanced Monitoring, and Blue/Green Deployments.
MySQL 5.7 reached end of standard support on February 29, 2024. If you are running MySQL 5.7, you are currently in Year 3 Extended Support (from March 1, 2026): $0.200/vCPU-hr. Source: AWS official MySQL pricing page.
MySQL 8.0 is the current LTS version. MySQL 8.4 is the current innovation release. For production deployments without a specific 5.7 compatibility requirement, MySQL 8.0 or 8.4 avoids all Extended Support charges. Source: AWS official.
PostgreSQL: Small Premium, Broader Capabilities
RDS PostgreSQL is priced at a small premium over MySQL for equivalent instance types — approximately 10% more per instance-hour in some size comparisons, though many instances are priced identically. For most instance classes (r8g, m7g families), MySQL and PostgreSQL on-demand rates are effectively the same. Verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/postgresql/pricing/ and aws.amazon.com/rds/mysql/pricing/ before finalizing estimates. Source: go-cloud.io (February 2026) citing AWS official.
PostgreSQL 11 is in Year 3 Extended Support from March 2026 at $0.200/vCPU-hr. PostgreSQL 12 and 13 may also be approaching end of standard support depending on timing. Current LTS version: PostgreSQL 16. Source: AWS official PostgreSQL pricing page.
SQL Server: License Included Only, 2-3x the Cost
RDS for SQL Server operates on a License Included model exclusively. There is no BYOL option for SQL Server on RDS. AWS licenses the SQL Server software and bundles it into the hourly instance rate. Source: AWS official SQL Server pricing page: ‘Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a License Included (LI) model only.’
The four production-relevant SQL Server editions on RDS: Web Edition (lower per-hour rate, for public internet-facing workloads only), Standard Edition (most production workloads, covers the majority of enterprise features), Developer Edition (full Enterprise features, development use only — not licensed for production), and Enterprise Edition (Always On availability groups, columnstore indexes, advanced analytics, highest cost).
SQL Server Standard Edition db.r8g.xlarge: approximately $1.224/hr on-demand — 2.6x the cost of MySQL/PostgreSQL at equivalent compute. At this rate, the annual on-demand compute cost for a single db.r8g.xlarge SQL Server Standard is approximately $10,751/year vs approximately $4,205/year for MySQL at the same instance size. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) citing AWS official.
SQL Server teams evaluating Azure: RDS SQL Server License Included pricing is competitive with SQL Server on Azure SQL Managed Instance for equivalent managed service configurations. Teams with existing Microsoft enterprise agreements get no BYOL benefit on RDS SQL Server — the License Included model is fixed. If BYOL is a requirement, consider deploying SQL Server on EC2 with BYOL licensing. Source: AWS official SQL Server pricing page and go-cloud.io (February 2026).
On-Demand Rate Table: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server
Representative on-demand rates (US East, June 2026). Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) citing AWS official. Verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ — rates change. These are approximate rates for representative instances; exact rates vary by specific instance class and may have updated since April 2026.
| Instance Type | vCPU / RAM | MySQL (On-Demand) | PostgreSQL (On-Demand) | SQL Server Standard LI (On-Demand) |
| db.t4g.micro | 2 / 1 GB | $0.016/hr | ~$0.016/hr | ~$0.071/hr (Web Ed.) |
| db.r8g.large | 2 / 16 GB | $0.240/hr | ~$0.240/hr | ~$0.617/hr |
| db.r8g.xlarge | 4 / 32 GB | ~$0.478/hr | ~$0.480/hr | $1.224/hr |
| db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ | 4 / 32 GB | ~$0.956/hr | ~$0.960/hr | ~$2.448/hr |
| db.r8g.2xlarge | 8 / 64 GB | ~$0.956/hr | ~$0.960/hr | ~$2.448/hr |
| db.r8g.4xlarge | 16 / 128 GB | ~$1.912/hr | ~$1.920/hr | ~$4.896/hr |
Source: MySQL $0.240/hr db.r8g.large and PostgreSQL $0.480/hr db.r8g.xlarge from Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) citing AWS official. SQL Server SE db.r8g.xlarge $1.224/hr from same source. Multi-AZ rates approximate (2x Single-AZ instance rate). All rates approximate — verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ before purchasing. Rates change.
The RDS Cost Calculator Formula
Apply this formula to calculate your monthly RDS cost for any engine, instance, and configuration. The worksheet below provides all the variables:
Step 1: Instance compute
Monthly compute = (on-demand or effective RI rate) x 730 hours.
Example: PostgreSQL db.r8g.xlarge Single-AZ on-demand = $0.480/hr x 730 = $350.40/month.
With 1-year No Upfront RI (~29% off): $0.341/hr x 730 = $248.93/month.
Step 2: Multi-AZ multiplier
Multi-AZ doubles the instance cost. If Multi-AZ: compute cost x 2.
Example: PostgreSQL db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ on-demand = $0.960/hr x 730 = $700.80/month.
Step 3: Storage
Monthly storage = GB provisioned x $0.115 (gp3 rate, all engines).
Example: 500 GB gp3 = 500 x $0.115 = $57.50/month.
Additional IOPS above gp3 baseline (3,000 IOPS): $0.02/IOPS provisioned/month. Example: provisioning 6,000 IOPS = 3,000 additional x $0.02 = $60/month.
Step 4: Backup storage (above free tier)
Backup storage free tier = 100% of provisioned DB storage size. For a 500 GB DB: first 500 GB of backup is free. If retention window generates more than 500 GB of backups: excess x $0.095/GB-month (approximate — verify at AWS official). Source: AWS official RDS pricing page.
Example: 30-day retention on a 500 GB database with 5 GB/day of changes. Approximate backup size after 30 days: 500 GB base + 30 x 5 = 650 GB. Excess above 500 GB free tier: 150 GB x $0.095 = $14.25/month in backup charges. Source: AWS official.
Step 5: Extended Support (if applicable)
Extended Support monthly charge = vCPU count x Extended Support rate x 730 hours.
MySQL 5.7 Year 3 (from March 2026): $0.200/vCPU-hr. PostgreSQL 11 Year 3 (from March 2026): $0.200/vCPU-hr.
Example: db.r8g.xlarge MySQL 5.7 (4 vCPUs): 4 x $0.200 x 730 = $584/month in Extended Support charges — ON TOP of the standard instance rate. Source: AWS official MySQL pricing page.
Extended Support charges are NOT reduced by Reserved Instances. An RI on a MySQL 5.7 instance discounts the base compute rate but the $584/month Extended Support charge remains at full rate. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026).
Step 6: Read replica compute (optional)
Each read replica is a separate billed instance at the Single-AZ rate for the same instance class. Example: 2x read replicas of db.r8g.xlarge MySQL = 2 x $0.478/hr x 730 = $698.68/month in replica compute.
Read replicas require their own Reserved Instances for RI discounts. A Multi-AZ RI does not cover read replicas. Source: AWS official and Usage.ai live RDS RI blog.

Complete Cost Calculator Worksheet
Fill in your values to calculate your expected monthly RDS cost. All rates: US East, June 2026. Verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ before finalizing.
| Line Item | Your Configuration | Rate | Monthly Cost |
| Instance compute (on-demand or RI rate) | ____/hr x 730 hrs | Your rate/hr | $______ |
| Multi-AZ multiplier (if applicable) | x2 if Multi-AZ | Doubles instance cost | $______ |
| Storage (gp3, all engines) | ____GB provisioned | $0.115/GB/month | $______ |
| Additional IOPS above 3,000 baseline | ____IOPS additional | $0.02/IOPS/month | $______ |
| Backup storage above free tier | ____GB above free tier | ~$0.095/GB/month | $______ |
| Extended Support (if on EOL engine version) | ____vCPUs x 730 hrs | $0.200/vCPU-hr (MySQL 5.7 Yr 3, PG 11 Yr 3) | $______ |
| Read replica compute (per replica) | ____replicas x ____/hr x 730 | Same as single-AZ instance rate | $______ |
| TOTAL MONTHLY ESTIMATE | Sum all above | $______ |
Source: all rates from AWS official RDS pricing pages. gp3 storage rate from AWS official. Extended Support from AWS official MySQL pricing page. Backup rate approximate. Verify all at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ — rates change.
Worked Example 1: MySQL Production Database (Single-AZ)
Profile: small SaaS application, MySQL 8.0, db.r8g.large Single-AZ, 200 GB gp3, 7-day backup retention, no read replicas, 1-year No Upfront RI.
Step 1 — Compute: $0.240/hr on-demand x 730 = $175.20/month. With 1-year No Upfront RI (~29% off): approximately $0.171/hr x 730 = $124.83/month. Source: $0.240/hr MySQL db.r8g.large from Usage.ai live RDS RI blog (April 2026) citing AWS official.
Step 2 — Multi-AZ: Not applicable. Single-AZ.
Step 3 — Storage: 200 GB x $0.115 = $23/month.
Step 4 — Backup: 200 GB free tier. 7-day retention with 2 GB/day changes = 14 GB of incremental backup. Well within the 200 GB free tier. Backup cost: $0.
Step 5 — Extended Support: MySQL 8.0, not in Extended Support. $0.
Total on-demand: $175.20 + $23 = $198.20/month. Total with 1-yr RI: $124.83 + $23 = $147.83/month. Annual saving with RI vs on-demand: ($198.20 – $147.83) x 12 = $604.44/year. Source: calculation from verified rates.
Also read: RDS Reserved Instances: complete guide to RI discounts by engineÂ
Worked Example 2: PostgreSQL Multi-AZ Production Database
Profile: production API database, PostgreSQL 16, db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ, 500 GB gp3, 30-day backup retention, 2 read replicas, 1-year No Upfront RI on primary and replicas.
Step 1 — Primary compute (Multi-AZ): $0.960/hr on-demand x 730 = $700.80/month. With 1-year No Upfront RI (~29% off on Multi-AZ): approximately $0.682/hr x 730 = $497.86/month. Source: $0.960/hr PostgreSQL db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ from Usage.ai live RDS RI blog (April 2026).
Step 2 — Read replica compute (2 x Single-AZ db.r8g.xlarge): 2 x $0.480/hr x 730 = $700.80/month on-demand. With 1-year No Upfront RI (2 Single-AZ RIs): 2 x $0.341/hr x 730 = $497.86/month. Source: Single-AZ rate from same verified source.
Step 3 — Storage: 500 GB x $0.115 = $57.50/month. Read replicas do NOT add storage — each RDS read replica provisions its own storage volume. 3 total instances (1 primary Multi-AZ + 2 replicas): approximately 500 GB x 3 = 1,500 GB total storage provisioned. Storage: 1,500 GB x $0.115 = $172.50/month.
Step 4 — Backup: 500 GB free tier on primary. 30-day retention at 10 GB/day changes = 300 GB incremental. Excess over 500 GB free tier: 0 GB (300 GB within the free tier). Backup cost: approximately $0.
Step 5 — Extended Support: PostgreSQL 16 — not in Extended Support. $0.
Total on-demand: $700.80 (primary) + $700.80 (replicas) + $172.50 (storage) = $1,574.10/month. Total with 1-yr RIs on all 3 instances: $497.86 + $497.86 + $172.50 = $1,168.22/month. Annual saving: ($1,574.10 – $1,168.22) x 12 = $4,870.56/year. Source: calculation from verified rates.
Read replica RI coverage for RDS PostgreSQL: each read replica is a Single-AZ instance requiring its own Single-AZ RI. The Multi-AZ RI on the primary does not cover read replicas. For 2 replicas, you need 2 Single-AZ RIs purchased in the same region as the replicas.
Also read: RDS vs Aurora TCO: when Aurora’s storage model makes it cheaper than RDS (live)
Worked Example 3: SQL Server Standard Edition Multi-AZ
Profile: line-of-business application, SQL Server Standard Edition License Included, db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ, 1 TB gp3, 7-day backup retention, no read replicas, 1-year No Upfront RI.
Step 1 — Primary compute (Multi-AZ SQL Server SE): approximately $2.448/hr on-demand x 730 = $1,787.04/month. Source: Multi-AZ rate approximately 2x Single-AZ $1.224/hr = $2.448/hr.
With 1-year No Upfront RI (~25% off for SQL Server LI): approximately $1.836/hr x 730 = $1,340.28/month. Source: 25% 1-yr savings for SQL Server LI from Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026).
Step 2 — Storage: 1,000 GB x $0.115 = $115/month.
Step 3 — Backup: 1,000 GB free tier. 7-day retention at 5 GB/day changes = 35 GB incremental. Within free tier. Backup cost: $0.
Step 4 — Extended Support: SQL Server is not subject to RDS Extended Support charges — the commercial licensing model already includes ongoing patching and support from Microsoft via AWS. Extended Support charges apply only to open-source engine EOL versions (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB). Source: AWS official.
Total on-demand: $1,787.04 + $115 = $1,902.04/month. Total with 1-yr RI: $1,340.28 + $115 = $1,455.28/month. Annual saving: ($1,902.04 – $1,455.28) x 12 = $5,361.84/year.
Comparison: the same db.r8g.xlarge Multi-AZ with PostgreSQL 16 costs approximately $700.80/month on-demand ($497.86 with RI). SQL Server Standard LI costs $1,787.04/month ($1,340.28 with RI). The SQL Server license premium is $1,086.24/month = $13,034.88/year on a single Multi-AZ instance. Source: calculation from verified rates.

SQL Server Edition Comparison: Web vs Standard vs Enterprise
SQL Server edition choice on RDS determines both per-hour cost and feature availability. Source: AWS official SQL Server pricing page and cloudburn.io (January 2026).
| Edition | Approximate On-Demand (db.r8g.xlarge) | vs Standard | Key Limitations / Use Cases |
| Express | Free (limitations apply) | Free | Max 10 GB database size. Dev and small workloads only. Not for production data above 10 GB. |
| Web | Lower rate (~50% of Standard) | ~50% cheaper | Public internet-facing workloads only per Microsoft licensing. Cannot run line-of-business internal apps. |
| Developer | Lower rate (full Enterprise features) | Cheap — development only | Full Enterprise features for development/testing. NOT licensed for production use. |
| Standard | ~$1.224/hr (db.r8g.xlarge) | Baseline | Most production workloads. Includes high availability, read replicas, standard features. |
| Enterprise | ~2-3x Standard | 2-3x more expensive | Always On AGs, columnstore indexes, advanced analytics, unlimited memory, table partitioning. Required for these features. |
Source: SQL Server edition guidance from AWS official SQL Server pricing page and cloudburn.io (January 2026). Exact rates vary by instance — verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/sqlserver/pricing/ before estimating.
Most teams run SQL Server Standard on RDS. The Web Edition restriction (public internet-facing only per Microsoft licensing terms) is frequently overlooked — using Web Edition for internal line-of-business applications violates Microsoft’s licensing terms even though AWS does not technically block it.
Reserved Instance Savings by Engine
All RI rates approximate (April 2026). Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) citing AWS official. Verify current RI rates at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/ — rates and savings percentages change.
| Engine / Instance | On-Demand/hr | 1-yr No Upfront/hr | 1-yr Savings | 3-yr All Upfront/hr | 3-yr Savings |
| MySQL db.r8g.large (Single-AZ) | $0.240 | ~$0.171 | ~29% | ~$0.118 | ~51% |
| PostgreSQL db.r8g.xlarge (Single-AZ) | ~$0.480 | ~$0.341 | ~29% | ~$0.235 | ~51% |
| PostgreSQL db.r8g.xlarge (Multi-AZ) | ~$0.960 | ~$0.682 | ~29% | ~$0.470 | ~51% |
| SQL Server SE db.r8g.xlarge (Single-AZ LI) | $1.224 | ~$0.914 | ~25% | ~$0.727 | ~41% |
| MySQL db.r8g.xlarge (3-yr vs on-demand saving/yr) | $4,188/yr | $1,227/yr saving | $2,150/yr saving | ||
| SQL Server SE db.r8g.xlarge (saving/yr) | $10,751/yr | $2,688/yr saving | $4,408/yr saving |
Key constraint: No Upfront payment is available for 1-year terms only. 3-year terms require Partial Upfront or All Upfront. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026). Verify all rates at aws.amazon.com/rds/pricing/.
Extended Support: The Cost That Multiplies Your Bill
Extended Support is the most underestimated cost driver for teams running older RDS engine versions. The surcharge is assessed per vCPU-hour, applies on top of all other instance charges, and is not discounted by Reserved Instances.
Current Extended Support rates (US East, June 2026):
MySQL 5.7: Year 3 Extended Support since March 1, 2026 — $0.200/vCPU-hr. Source: AWS official MySQL pricing page: ‘Starting March 1, 2026, you will be charged $0.200 per vCPU-hr.’
PostgreSQL 11: Year 3 Extended Support since March 2026 — $0.200/vCPU-hr. Source: AWS official PostgreSQL pricing page.
Annual cost of remaining on MySQL 5.7 for a 4-vCPU db.r8g.xlarge: Extended Support = 4 x $0.200 x 730 x 12 = $7,008/year. This is added on top of the full instance cost AND is not offset by any RI discount. A team that reserved a MySQL 5.7 db.r8g.xlarge for 3 years before the Extended Support announcement is paying RI-discounted compute PLUS full-rate Extended Support charges. Upgrade to MySQL 8.0 before renewing any RI on a 5.7 instance. Source: AWS official MySQL pricing page.
See exactly what you’re overpaying on RDS in under 60 seconds. Try the Calculator for free →
How Usage.ai Calculates Your RDS Total Cost
Usage.ai models the complete RDS cost stack — not just the instance line item — for every database in your fleet. The cost model includes on-demand or RI-adjusted compute rates, storage at gp3 rates per instance, Extended Support surcharges for any EOL engine versions, backup storage above the free tier, and RDS Proxy charges if enabled.
The 24-hour refresh cycle means Extended Support flags surface within 24 hours of a new engine version entering an EOL period or a new cluster being created on an affected version. A team that creates a new MySQL 5.7 cluster after the Extended Support start date sees the flag immediately rather than on the next monthly billing review. At $0.200/vCPU-hr, 24 hours is $0.200 x vCPUs x 24 = $19.20/day per 4-vCPU instance. That compounds fast.
For Reserved Instance recommendations: Usage.ai evaluates the full cost stack (on-demand rate + storage + Extended Support if applicable) before surfacing an RI purchase recommendation. A MySQL 5.7 instance is excluded from RI recommendations until the engine version is confirmed upgraded — committing a 3-year RI to a MySQL 5.7 instance would lock in both the RI commitment and the growing Extended Support surcharge.
Usage.ai Insured Flex Reserved Instances: purchased through the platform with a buyback guarantee. If a database is decommissioned, migrated to Aurora, or the instance class changes during the RI term, the unused commitment is bought back and returned as cashback in real money. Fee: percentage of realized savings only.
See how Usage.ai calculates your full RDS cost stack and finds the savings

Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does RDS MySQL cost per month?
Depends on instance size, Single-AZ vs Multi-AZ, storage, and engine version. Example: db.r8g.large Single-AZ MySQL 8.0 with 200 GB gp3: $0.240/hr x 730 = $175.20 compute + $23 storage = $198.20/month on-demand. With 1-year No Upfront RI (~29% off): approximately $147.83/month. MySQL 5.7 adds $0.200/vCPU-hr Extended Support surcharge (2-vCPU db.r8g.large = $292/month extra). Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI blog (April 2026) citing AWS official. Verify at aws.amazon.com/rds/mysql/pricing/ — rates change.
2. How much does RDS PostgreSQL cost vs MySQL?
For equivalent instance classes (r8g, m7g families), MySQL and PostgreSQL on-demand rates are essentially identical or within a few percent. The primary cost difference is licensing (both are open-source, $0 license cost) and Extended Support timing (PostgreSQL 11 and MySQL 5.7 are both in Year 3 Extended Support at $0.200/vCPU-hr). On new deployments with supported versions, MySQL 8.0 and PostgreSQL 16 have the same effective cost for the same instance type. Source: AWS official pricing pages.
3. How much does RDS SQL Server cost?
SQL Server Standard Edition db.r8g.xlarge Single-AZ: approximately $1.224/hr = $893.52/month on-demand. Multi-AZ: approximately $2.448/hr = $1,787.04/month. With 1-year No Upfront RI (~25% off): approximately $0.914/hr Single-AZ = $667.22/month; ~$1.836/hr Multi-AZ = $1,340.28/month. RDS SQL Server is License Included only — no BYOL option. For BYOL SQL Server, deploy on EC2. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI blog (April 2026) citing AWS official.
4. Can I use BYOL for SQL Server on RDS?
No. Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a License Included model only. AWS licenses the SQL Server software and bundles it into the hourly rate. There is no BYOL option for SQL Server on RDS. If you want to use existing SQL Server licenses on AWS, you must deploy SQL Server on EC2 (self-managed) and bring your own license under Software Assurance or similar agreement. Source: AWS official SQL Server pricing page: ‘Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a License Included (LI) model only.’
5. Are Extended Support charges discounted by Reserved Instances?
No. Extended Support charges are billed separately and are not reduced by RI discounts. If your instance is on MySQL 5.7 (Year 3 from March 2026: $0.200/vCPU-hr) or PostgreSQL 11, the Extended Support surcharge applies on top of both on-demand and reserved rates. For a 4-vCPU instance: $0.200 x 4 x 730 = $584/month added to your RDS bill regardless of RI status. Upgrade to a supported engine version before purchasing or renewing any RI. Source: Usage.ai live RDS RI pricing blog (April 2026) and AWS official.
6. How does Multi-AZ affect RDS pricing?
Multi-AZ doubles the instance compute cost. AWS provisions a synchronous standby instance in a second Availability Zone — both the primary and standby bill at the same per-instance rate simultaneously. Storage is also provisioned for both instances. For a db.r8g.xlarge PostgreSQL: Single-AZ $0.480/hr = $350.40/month compute. Multi-AZ $0.960/hr = $700.80/month compute. The Multi-AZ premium ($350.40/month) buys automatic failover in under 60 seconds and a passive standby instance that becomes the new primary if the active instance fails. Source: AWS official RDS pricing.