AWS Interconnect - multicloud and Google Cloud Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect for AWS pricing considerations

I'm Okuri, a big lover of whiskey, cigars, and pipes.

On April 14, 2026, AWS Interconnect - multicloud became GA, with Google Cloud as the first partner, enabling direct connections between AWS and Google Cloud without colocation or VPN. For an overview of the service and hands-on verification, please refer to my previous entries. In this entry, I'll focus specifically on pricing and consider which pattern to choose by comparing it with conventional configurations. Please note that the benefits of AWS Interconnect - multicloud are stable performance and easy direct multicloud network connectivity, so avoid making decisions based solely on pricing.

• AWS と Google Cloud を直結する AWS Interconnect - multicloud が GA になりました！
• AWS Interconnect is now generally available, with a new option to simplify last-mile connectivity
• Interconnect multicloud Pricing
• AWS Direct Connect Pricing
• Cloud Interconnect pricing
• Cloud Storage pricing

Prerequisites

Before diving into the pricing discussion, let me establish the assumptions used in this entry.

• Region: Communication between AWS us-west-2 (Oregon) and Google Cloud us-west1 (Oregon) (Japan is not yet supported at this time)
  • This region pair falls under AWS Interconnect - multicloud Tier 1 (the cheapest tier)
• Monthly costs are calculated based on 730 hours
• Two bandwidth options: 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps
• Monthly scenarios assuming continuous data flow
  • 1 Gbps connection: continuous 100 Mbps / continuous 500 Mbps
  • 10 Gbps connection: continuous 1 Gbps / continuous 5 Gbps
• As bulk transfer scenarios, we also include comparisons for one-time transfers of 10 / 20 / 50 TB from Amazon S3 to Google Cloud Storage, and 10 / 20 / 50 TiB from Google Cloud Storage to Amazon S3

Note that AWS pricing uses decimal gigabytes (GB, 1 GB = 10^9 bytes), while Google Cloud pricing uses binary gibibytes (GiB, 1 GiB = 2^30 bytes), so in this entry, the AWS side uses GB / TB, and the Google Cloud side uses GiB / TiB for calculations.

For comparison, connection patterns using AWS Direct Connect and the standard Google Cloud Cross-Cloud Interconnect are included. These patterns require complex procedures including BGP configuration and manual redundancy setup.

Pricing Structure Overview

Let me organize the pricing for each service.

AWS Pricing

When transferring data from S3 via the internet, the following tiers apply (outbound from Oregon, first 100 GB free).

Google Cloud Pricing

Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect is explicitly stated in the official documentation as only charging hourly for transport resources, with no data transfer fees for either inbound or outbound traffic.

• Cloud Interconnect pricing - Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect

On the other hand, standard Cross-Cloud Interconnect and GCS internet-bound egress incur data transfer fees.

Key Points About the Pricing Structure

The key point to note here is that both AWS Interconnect - multicloud and Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect for AWS do not charge per-GB data transfer fees.

In other words, with the multicloud + Partner CCI combination, there is zero per-GB charge in both directions, and the monthly cost is determined solely by bandwidth. This characteristic plays a significant role in the pricing comparisons that follow.

Monthly Traffic Volume Conversion

The monthly transfer volumes calculated using 730 hours × 3,600 seconds = 2,628,000 seconds are as follows.

Pattern 1: AWS Interconnect - multicloud + Partner CCI for AWS

This is the newly introduced configuration that became GA. On the AWS side, only a fixed bandwidth hourly charge applies with no per-GB data transfer fees, and Google Cloud's Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect for AWS similarly incurs no data transfer fees (with 4x redundancy already built in).

Fixed Costs (That's All There Is)

Since there is no per-GB charge in either direction, no matter how much the monthly traffic volume increases, the cost remains at this fixed amount only. In other words, the more you use up to the bandwidth limit, the better the value.

Pattern 2: AWS Direct Connect + Google Cloud Cross-Cloud Interconnect (Non-Redundant)

This is a traditional configuration. One important note here is that Google Cloud's Cross-Cloud Interconnect is only available in two options: 10 Gbps or 100 Gbps. If you want a 1 Gbps dedicated connection, this configuration cannot accommodate it. When 1 Gbps is needed, Pattern 1 (Partner CCI) becomes the natural choice.

Therefore, this pattern is estimated at 10 Gbps. Since this is non-redundant, the monthly uptime guaranteed by SLA is 95% for AWS Direct Connect, and Google Cloud Cross-Cloud Interconnect is not covered.

Fixed Costs

Calculated as Bidirectional Total

Since $0.02/GB applies on the AWS side and $0.02/GiB applies on the Google Cloud side, charges are incurred in both directions.

Pattern 3: AWS Direct Connect + Cross-Cloud Interconnect with 4x Redundancy (10 Gbps × 4)

This is the configuration that prioritizes availability above all else. Four instances each of AWS Direct Connect and Google Cloud Cross-Cloud Interconnect are provisioned, with full redundancy across physical locations, routers, and paths. The combined bandwidth totals 40 Gbps, but this entry keeps the same traffic volume assumptions for sustained bandwidth comparisons. With 4x redundancy across multiple locations, the monthly uptime guaranteed by SLA is 99.99% for both AWS Direct Connect and Google Cloud Cross-Cloud Interconnect.

Fixed Costs

Calculated as Bidirectional Total

Since $0.02/GB applies on the AWS side and $0.02/GiB applies on the Google Cloud side, charges are incurred in both directions.

Built-in Redundancy in the Service

Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect for AWS has 4x redundancy built into the service, so there is no need to contract four separate circuits to achieve redundancy. Compared to 10 Gbps Partner CCI at $13,870.00/month, the 4x redundant Cross-Cloud Interconnect costs $16,352.00/month. On the AWS side, the 10 Gbps multicloud is $9,000.90/month versus $6,570.00/month for 4x Direct Connect, making DX cheaper on that side. Looking at total connection costs, Pattern 1 ($22,870.90) and Pattern 3 ($23,214.00) are nearly neck and neck—but Pattern 1 also has zero data transfer fees, so the advantage of Pattern 1 grows as traffic volume increases. The combination of built-in redundancy and free data transfer in Partner CCI represents a remarkably cost-efficient package.

Pattern 4: Sending from Amazon S3 to Google Cloud via Internet

This is a bulk transfer scenario. Assuming no persistent connection, this estimates the cost of transferring data from an S3 bucket in Oregon to Google Cloud via the internet. The first 100 GB is treated as a free tier.

Pattern 5: Sending from Google Cloud Storage to AWS via Internet

This is the bulk transfer in the reverse direction. Google Cloud Storage Internet Egress uses a tiered pricing structure based on Premium Tier, with rates in GiB. In this entry, transfer volumes are treated as 10 / 20 / 50 TiB to align with Google Cloud's units.

Comparison Axis 1: Persistent Connection Patterns (Patterns 1 / 2 / 3)

Arranging Patterns 1 through 3 side by side for the same scenarios (bidirectional total):

If the required bandwidth is 1 Gbps or less, Pattern 1 with a 1 Gbps circuit is cheaper. When more than 1 Gbps is needed, Pattern 1's fixed cost of $22,870.90 regardless of traffic volume is the key point. At low traffic volumes, Pattern 2 has an overwhelming advantage, but as traffic increases, the data transfer costs in Patterns 2 and 3 balloon, widening Pattern 1's advantage.

Break-Even Point (Pattern 1 vs. Pattern 2, 10 Gbps connection)

Finding the point where Pattern 2's connection cost of $5,803.50 plus data transfer fees equals Pattern 1's $22,870.90:

Required transfer fee subtotal = $22,870.90 - $5,803.50 = $17,067.40
Bidirectional total transfer volume = $17,067.40 ÷ $0.02/GB ≒ 853,370 GB ≒ 853 TB/month
Sustained bandwidth equivalent = 853 TB × 8 bit ÷ (730h × 3,600s) ≒ 2.6 Gbps (bidirectional total)

In other words, the costs of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 cross at approximately 2.6 Gbps of sustained bidirectional total traffic. Beyond this point, Pattern 1 becomes the cheapest option.

Comparison Axis 2: Persistent Connection vs. Bulk Transfer (Patterns 1 / 4 / 5)

Comparing the fixed monthly cost of Pattern 1 against the per-transfer-volume charges of Patterns 4 and 5, viewed through the lens of monthly transfer volume. The persistent connection assumes "maintaining a dedicated link throughout the month," while bulk transfer assumes "paying only for the amount of X TB transferred that month."

Comparison with Pattern 1 (1 Gbps connection, $3,555.10/month)

Break-Even Points

• vs Pattern 4: Back-calculating the volume that reaches $3,555.10 at the over-10-TB tier ($0.085/GB)
  • ($3,555.10 - $891.00) ÷ $0.085/GB + 10,000 GB ≒ 41,342 GB ≒ 41 TB/month
  • Sustained bandwidth equivalent: approximately 125 Mbps
• vs Pattern 5: Back-calculating the volume that reaches $3,555.10 at the over-10-TiB tier ($0.08/GiB)
  • ($3,555.10 - $1,136.64) ÷ $0.08/GiB + 10,240 GiB ≒ 40,470 GiB ≒ 40 TiB/month
  • Sustained bandwidth equivalent: approximately 132 Mbps

If you are consistently transferring around 40 TB per month, keeping a 1 Gbps multicloud direct connection running continuously becomes the cheaper option.

Comparison with Pattern 1 (10 Gbps connection, $22,870.90/month)

Break-Even Points

• vs Pattern 4: Back-calculating the volume that reaches $22,870.90 at the over-150-TB tier ($0.05/GB)
  • ($22,870.90 - $11,291.00) ÷ $0.05/GB + 150,000 GB ≒ 381,598 GB ≒ 382 TB/month
  • Sustained bandwidth equivalent: approximately 1.16 Gbps
• vs Pattern 5: Back-calculating the volume that reaches $22,870.90 at the over-10-TiB tier ($0.08/GiB)
  • ($22,870.90 - $1,136.64) ÷ $0.08/GiB + 10,240 GiB ≒ 281,915 GiB ≒ 275 TiB/month
  • Sustained bandwidth equivalent: approximately 0.92 Gbps

A 10 Gbps multicloud direct connection gradually becomes advantageous from around 300 TB per month, and fully reverses the economics compared to internet-based transfer near the 400 TB mark.

Break-Even Point Summary

All the calculations up to this point are summarized in a single table.

For small-scale persistent connections, a direct connection becomes cheaper than internet-based transfer once sustained traffic exceeds around 125 Mbps for a 1 Gbps multicloud link, or just under 1 Gbps for a 10 Gbps link.

Which Pattern Should You Choose?

The recommended pattern varies depending on the nature of your workload.

High-Volume Communication Between AWS and Google Cloud

For workloads with high traffic volume in general—such as continuously streaming S3 or RDS data to BigQuery, AI/ML inference with result write-back, or bidirectional data replication—Pattern 1 (multicloud + Partner CCI) becomes advantageous. Because Pattern 1 has no per-GB charges in either direction, the monthly cost is fixed, and the gap compared to Patterns 2 and 3 widens as traffic volume increases.

Low Traffic Volume with No Redundancy Required

Conversely, when traffic volume is low, Pattern 2 is the cheapest option. At a combined bidirectional flow equivalent to 1 Gbps, Pattern 2 costs $12,147.90/month compared to Pattern 1's $22,870.90/month, and the zero per-GB transfer fees aren't enough to offset the connection cost difference. Since the break-even point is around 2.6 Gbps bidirectional combined, the rule of thumb is: choose Pattern 1 if your monthly average exceeds this threshold, and Pattern 2 if it falls below.

High Availability as the Top Priority

When availability is the top priority, Pattern 1 or Pattern 3 are the candidates. Since Partner CCI has quad redundancy built into the service, requirements can be met without contracting additional circuits. If you have a strong requirement to physically separate Direct Connect locations and routers yourself, choose Pattern 3. In terms of cost, Pattern 1 is slightly cheaper, and with no need to manage four physical ports and VLAN attachments, operational overhead is also reduced—making Pattern 1 the natural choice in most cases.

Data Migration Where Internet-Based Transfer Is Acceptable

For migrations under 50 TB per month, Pattern 4 / Pattern 5 (via internet) is straightforward. There is no monthly connection maintenance cost.

On the other hand, for migrations exceeding 50 TB or those split across multiple runs, short-term use of 10 Gbps multicloud + Partner CCI on a prorated basis is worth considering. For example, transferring 50 TB at 5 Gbps would complete in approximately 22 hours in one direction. The AWS multicloud cost would be $12.33 × 22h ≒ $271, and the Google Cloud Partner CCI cost would be $19.00 × 22h ≒ $418, with no data transfer fees on either side, totaling approximately $689. This cost is the same regardless of whether the transfer is S3 → GCS or GCS → S3. Compared to the $4,291–$4,413 cost of sending 50 TB via the internet, this works out to roughly one-sixth of the cost.

Closing Thoughts

With the GA of AWS Interconnect - multicloud and the Partner Cross-Cloud Interconnect for AWS combination, direct connectivity between AWS and Google Cloud now has a pricing characteristic entirely unlike the conventional wisdom—zero data transfer fees in both directions. While the connection costs are by no means cheap, the structure where the per-GB unit cost decreases the more you transfer is extremely attractive for workloads that exchange large amounts of data. If you have sustained bidirectional traffic exceeding the equivalent of approximately 2.6 Gbps per month, switching to Pattern 1 is well worth considering.

The estimates in this entry are theoretical values based on publicly available information and pricing assumptions obtained by the author. Please verify the latest pricing with AWS documentation or your account representative before making decisions. Separate verification will also be needed for Tier 2 and beyond region pairs, as well as bandwidths of 20 Gbps or more.

Also, please add support for Japanese regions!