mt.st Mount Street Advisory

AI Cost Intelligence

AI pricing is not normal software pricing.

The visible unit price is only part of the cost. Usage shape, context, routing, latency, credits, and commitment terms determine the real number.

Token economics

The bill is decided before the invoice arrives.

Token cost is shaped by input, output, context length, retries, retrieval, model choice, and user behaviour. A feature can look efficient in testing and become expensive once it is frequent, automated, or left ungoverned.

Input

Long prompts, retrieved documents, and repeated context create cost before the model responds.

Output

Verbose responses, multi-step agents, and unattended workflows compound spend quietly.

Routing

The right model mix can matter more than a discount on the wrong model.

API vs self-host

Cheaper depends on usage, not preference.

Route
Useful when
Commercial risk
API
Usage is variable, speed matters, and model quality is still moving.
Unit cost drifts without routing, caching, and governance.
Self-host
Workloads are predictable, high volume, and control justifies ownership.
Idle capacity, engineering overhead, and maintenance can erase savings.
Hybrid
Commodity tasks can be separated from premium reasoning or specialist models.
Complexity rises unless ownership, routing, and monitoring are explicit.

Break-even logic

Price matters after usage is understood.

Serious procurement starts with the point where committed credits, negotiated terms, or owned infrastructure outperform pay-as-you-go consumption. The answer depends on volume, confidence, workload type, and the capacity to manage the chosen route.

Break-even depends on volume + predictability + quality need + operating burden

mt.st turns that logic into a commercial position: where to optimise, where to negotiate, where to commit, and where to stay flexible.

Analysis

Make the cost visible before it scales.

Bring your invoices, usage pattern, and provider mix. We will identify what is driving spend and where leverage exists.

Get Your AI Cost Breakdown