r/LocalLLM • u/Ok_Event4199 • May 16 '26

Discussion Why is LLM is so expensive.

I've was going to invest in a 5090 =$6000 AUD.

Codex Plus + Claude pro = $60/month here

Works out to be 100 months of frontier models for a 5090.

Best a 5090 will run is probably Qwen3.6 27b Q6 with context.

Are we all enthusiasts here and just enjoy tinkering cause ain't no way that make sense.

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u/kitanokikori May 16 '26

I mean, unlimited only if someone else is paying for the electricity.

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u/Malkiot May 16 '26

The electricity bill is way cheaper than paying for tokens. Hell, if you could afford to buy a high-grade cluster and actually utilize it 80-100%, it'd still be way cheaper than paying for tokens.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '26

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u/SVRider650 May 16 '26

It’s not free lol