GCP Cloud Interconnect cost: VLAN attachments plus egress

Quick answer

Cloud Interconnect bills per VLAN attachment (by capacity, from 50 Mbps to 50 Gbps) plus discounted egress over the connection (cheaper than internet egress), in Dedicated (your own 10G/100G physical ports, plus a port fee) or Partner (through a connectivity provider) flavors. For large, steady traffic to Google Cloud it beats a VPN on egress and performance; for light connectivity, VPN is cheaper.

Google Cloud Interconnect provides a private connection between your network and Google Cloud, with lower latency and cheaper egress than the public internet. It comes in Dedicated and Partner flavors, and its cost is VLAN attachments plus the discounted egress that is the main reason to use it at volume.

Attachments, ports, and egress

Flavor	Bills
Dedicated Interconnect	Physical port fee (10G/100G) + per VLAN attachment
Partner Interconnect	Per VLAN attachment (by capacity), provider fee
Egress over Interconnect	Discounted per-GB (cheaper than internet)

Dedicated Interconnect gives you physical 10G or 100G ports (with a port fee) into which you provision VLAN attachments. Partner Interconnect provides attachments through a connectivity provider at various capacities without your own ports. On both, egress over the connection is billed per gigabyte at rates well below internet egress, and ingress is free.

Dedicated vs Partner

Dedicated suits large bandwidth (10G/100G) where you can justify physical ports; Partner suits smaller or more flexible capacities (from 50 Mbps) via a provider, without provisioning your own ports. Choose Dedicated for high, sustained bandwidth and Partner for moderate needs or where you lack a presence at a Google colocation facility.

Interconnect vs VPN

For low or intermittent traffic, Cloud VPN over the internet is far cheaper and simpler. Interconnect wins for large, steady traffic (cheaper discounted egress that offsets the attachment and port fees) and for dedicated, consistent performance. The break-even is your egress volume and performance needs, the same dedicated-connection-versus-VPN tradeoff as ExpressRoute.

Controlling Interconnect cost

Right-size VLAN attachment capacity to real bandwidth, choose Dedicated or Partner based on your capacity and colocation situation, and use Interconnect only where high steady egress or dedicated performance justifies it over a VPN. The discounted egress is the payoff, so it makes sense when your egress volume is large enough to earn it against the fixed fees.

FAQ

How is GCP Cloud Interconnect priced?

Per VLAN attachment by capacity, plus discounted egress over the connection (cheaper than internet egress), with Dedicated Interconnect adding a physical port fee for your own 10G or 100G ports and Partner Interconnect going through a connectivity provider. Ingress is free; egress over the link is billed per GB at reduced rates.

Dedicated or Partner Interconnect?

Dedicated suits large bandwidth (10G/100G) where you can justify physical ports at a Google colocation facility. Partner suits smaller or more flexible capacities (from 50 Mbps) through a connectivity provider without your own ports. Choose Dedicated for high sustained bandwidth and Partner for moderate needs or no colocation presence.

Is Cloud Interconnect cheaper than a VPN?

Only at high, steady traffic. Cloud VPN over the internet is far cheaper and simpler for low or intermittent connectivity. Interconnect wins for large, steady traffic through cheaper discounted egress that offsets its attachment and port fees, and for dedicated, consistent performance.

How do I reduce Cloud Interconnect cost?

Right-size VLAN attachment capacity to real bandwidth, choose Dedicated or Partner based on your capacity and colocation situation, and use Interconnect only where high steady egress or dedicated performance justifies it over a VPN. The discounted egress is the payoff when your egress volume is large enough to earn it.

Does Cloud Interconnect offer cheaper egress?

Yes. Egress over an Interconnect connection is billed per gigabyte at rates well below standard internet egress, which is a primary reason to use it at high volume. That discount offsets the attachment and port fees when egress is large and steady, making Interconnect economical for heavy hybrid traffic.

Does C3X estimate Cloud Interconnect cost?

C3X prices the Interconnect and VLAN attachment resources from your Terraform, including the fixed fees. Egress over the connection depends on traffic volume, which you provide as a usage assumption for the full estimate.

What to do next

Price your connectivity before you provision it. C3X reads your Terraform and prices your resources against a live catalog. Start with the quickstart.