AWS Cost and Usage Report
Most detailed billing data
Exports the most detailed cost and usage data (hourly, per resource, with tags and discounts) to files on S3; now configured through Data Exports (CUR 2.0) so you can query it with Athena or load it into BI tools.
- Cost$ Low
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?A little
- Serverless
- In examsCLF · SOA
Think of it asLike a bank statement listing every single transaction, compared to a monthly spending summary.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
You need deep cost analysis, chargeback by team, or want to build your own FinOps dashboard.
✗ Avoid it when
Just need a quick cost chart → Cost Explorer.
Common uses
- Query costs by tag with Athena
- Allocate costs to each department
- Load into a BI dashboard for FinOps tracking
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: No charge to create reports; you pay for storing files on S3 and for query tools (Athena…).
Related services
SAA-C03 study guide
Cost and Usage Report is covered in these study modules: