Egress Costs in Multi-Cloud Architectures
Multi-cloud is increasingly common, but every byte that moves between cloud providers is charged at full internet egress rates. There is no special "cloud-to-cloud" discount. A data pipeline moving 10TB per month from AWS to GCP costs $912/month in AWS egress alone. This page covers the real costs of cross-cloud data transfer, hybrid cloud egress patterns, and practical strategies to minimize the financial penalty of operating across multiple clouds.
Cross-Cloud Transfer Costs
Data leaving any cloud provider for another is billed at the full internet egress rate. Ingress to the receiving cloud is always free.
| From | To | Rate | 10TB/mo Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Azure | $0.09/GB | $912/mo | Standard AWS internet egress rate |
| AWS | GCP | $0.09/GB | $912/mo | Standard AWS internet egress rate |
| Azure | AWS | $0.087/GB | $868/mo | Standard Azure internet egress rate |
| Azure | GCP | $0.087/GB | $868/mo | Standard Azure internet egress rate |
| GCP | AWS | $0.12/GB | $1,221/mo | GCP Premium Tier rate |
| GCP | Azure | $0.12/GB | $1,221/mo | GCP Premium Tier rate |
| Any Cloud | Cloudflare R2 | Full egress rate | $0+ egress in | Ingress is free, use R2 as neutral store |
Strategies to Minimize Multi-Cloud Egress
Multi-cloud egress costs are significant but not inevitable. These strategies can reduce cross-cloud transfer costs by 50-80%.
Use private interconnects via colocation
Establish AWS Direct Connect and Azure ExpressRoute (or GCP Interconnect) in the same colocation facility. Cross-connect the circuits for cloud-to-cloud traffic at $0.02/GB instead of $0.09/GB. This requires a colocation presence but is the most cost-effective approach for high-volume multi-cloud data movement. Equinix Fabric and Megaport offer pre-connected cloud on-ramps.
Cloudflare as the neutral middle tier
Use Cloudflare R2 as neutral storage accessible from any cloud with zero egress. Use Cloudflare Workers for edge processing that doesn't need to be in a specific cloud. Use Cloudflare CDN as the shared content delivery layer. This eliminates cloud-to-cloud transfer for content serving scenarios entirely.
Process data where it lives
Instead of moving 10TB from AWS to GCP for processing, deploy the processing workload on AWS near the data. Use federated queries and cross-cloud compute rather than bulk data movement. Tools like BigQuery Omni, Azure Arc, and AWS Outposts enable processing across clouds without moving the underlying data.
Compress and batch all cross-cloud transfers
Enable maximum compression on all cross-cloud data pipelines. Use Brotli or zstd for better compression ratios than gzip. Batch small transfers into larger, less frequent ones to take advantage of connection reuse. Schedule large transfers during off-peak pricing windows where available.
Cache cross-cloud query results
If services in Cloud A frequently query services in Cloud B, implement aggressive caching. Use Redis or Memcached to cache cross-cloud API responses. Implement ETags and conditional requests. Even a 50% cache hit rate halves your cross-cloud egress charges.
Evaluate if multi-cloud is actually worth it
Multi-cloud adds egress costs, operational complexity, and limits your ability to use cloud-native services. If the primary driver is vendor diversification or compliance, quantify the annual egress cost penalty and compare it against the risk mitigation value. Many organizations find that 'cloud-portable' architectures cost more in egress than a single-cloud strategy with good disaster recovery.
Hybrid Cloud: On-Premises to Cloud
Hybrid cloud (on-premises + cloud) has its own egress dynamics. Data moving from cloud to on-premises is standard internet egress unless you use dedicated connectivity. Moving data from on-premises to cloud is always free (ingress). The key cost reduction lever for hybrid architectures is private connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does cross-cloud data transfer cost?
Data transfer between cloud providers (e.g., AWS to Azure) is treated as standard internet egress by the sending cloud. AWS charges $0.09/GB, Azure charges $0.087/GB, and GCP charges $0.12/GB. The receiving cloud charges nothing for ingress. There is no special 'cross-cloud' pricing discount.
Is multi-cloud more expensive because of egress?
Yes, egress is the primary cost penalty of multi-cloud architectures. Every data exchange between clouds incurs full internet egress rates. A data pipeline moving 10TB/month from AWS to GCP costs $912/month in AWS egress alone. This is why egress is called the 'cloud lock-in tax'.
How can I reduce multi-cloud transfer costs?
Use private interconnects (AWS Direct Connect + Azure ExpressRoute/GCP Interconnect via colocation) to reduce per-GB rates. Minimize data movement by processing data where it lives. Use Cloudflare as a neutral middleman (free CDN + R2 storage). Compress all data in transit. Cache frequently accessed cross-cloud data.
What is the cheapest way to move data between clouds?
The cheapest approach is using private interconnects through a colocation facility, which can reduce rates to $0.02/GB. For infrequent large transfers, physical data migration (AWS Snowball, Azure Data Box) may be cheaper. For ongoing small volumes, compress data and use scheduled batch transfers during off-peak hours.
Related Resources
All pricing verified from official cloud provider documentation. Last updated March 2026.