How it works...

The estimate-template-cost command requires all the parameters of your template. As you can see in the first step, the actual values aren't important because the template won't actually be launched. You simply need to make sure the type of value you give matches the required type for that parameter (for example, the SubnetIds value must be a list of values in this template).

The region you specify is important! Some services (but not all) can cost different amounts depending on the region they are in. Generally, the us-east-1 region is the cheapest.

At the end of the command, we limit the output to just the report URL via the --query argument.

You can share the URL generated with others, but you will not be able to retrieve earlier reports unless you keep track of the URL yourself.

On the calculator website, the template's resources will be pre-populated, even if you can't immediately see them. The report always defaults to the Amazon EC2 service page, so you will have to go to the relevant service page via the left-hand menu (in this case, Amazon RDS).

Finally, you can see a complete report of your template's monthly cost on the Estimate of your Monthly Bill tab. If your template contains many different types of resources/services, you will see them summarized here.