OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE) Calculator
Size an OKE node pool against pod CPU, memory and the 110-pods-per-node ceiling, then price basic against enhanced clusters.
Inputs
Kubernetes supports at most 110 pods on a node.
Worker Nodes Required
30
Limiting Factor
OCPU requests are the binding limit
Monthly Cost
$4,449.12
Worker Node Charge
$4,374.72
Control Plane Charge
$74.40
Pods Landing per Node
13.3
OCPU Utilisation
83.3%
Cost per Pod
$11.12
Step by step
Values used
Pods to run = 400 pods; OCPU request per pod = 0.2500 OCPU; Memory request per pod = 1.50 GB; OCPUs per worker node = 4 OCPU; Memory per worker node = 64 GB; Pod ceiling per node = 110 pods; Capacity reserved for system components = 15 %; Cluster type = Enhanced cluster (per cluster-hour); Enhanced cluster price per hour = 0.1000 USD/hour; Price per OCPU-hour = 0.0250 USD/OCPU-hour; Price per GB-hour of memory = 0.0015 USD/GB-hour; Billed hours per month = 744 hours
OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE)
nodes = max(ceil(total pod OCPU ÷ usable OCPU per node), ceil(total pod memory ÷ usable memory per node), ceil(pods ÷ 110)), where usable capacity is the node size less the system reservation.
Worker Nodes Required
= 30
Limiting Factor
= OCPU requests are the binding limit
Monthly Cost
= 4,449.12
Worker Node Charge
= 4,374.72
Control Plane Charge
= 74.40
Pods Landing per Node
= 13.3
How it works
Node count is decided by whichever of three limits bites first: aggregate CPU requests, aggregate memory requests, or the hard ceiling of 110 pods per node. The system reservation matters because kubelet, the CNI and daemon sets consume capacity on every node before a single workload pod is scheduled. Clusters full of tiny pods hit the 110-pod ceiling long before they run out of CPU, which means you pay for idle cores unless you use smaller nodes — and knowing which constraint binds tells you whether to change node shape or pod requests. The basic cluster control plane is free, so the enhanced tier only makes sense when you need its extra features. Confirm the cluster and compute rates in the Oracle Cloud cost estimator for your region.
Formula
OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE)
nodes = max(ceil(total pod OCPU ÷ usable OCPU per node), ceil(total pod memory ÷ usable memory per node), ceil(pods ÷ 110)), where usable capacity is the node size less the system reservation.
- 110
- Maximum pods Kubernetes will schedule on a single node
- system reservation
- Share of each node held back for kubelet, CNI and daemon sets
- usable OCPU
- Node OCPUs left for workload pods after the reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
How is OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE) calculated?
nodes = max(ceil(total pod OCPU ÷ usable OCPU per node), ceil(total pod memory ÷ usable memory per node), ceil(pods ÷ 110)), where usable capacity is the node size less the system reservation. Node count is decided by whichever of three limits bites first: aggregate CPU requests, aggregate memory requests, or the hard ceiling of 110 pods per node. The system reservation matters because kubelet, the CNI and daemon sets consume capacity on every node before a single workload pod is scheduled.
Why does OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE) matter?
Clusters full of tiny pods hit the 110-pod ceiling long before they run out of CPU, which means you pay for idle cores unless you use smaller nodes — and knowing which constraint binds tells you whether to change node shape or pod requests. The basic cluster control plane is free, so the enhanced tier only makes sense when you need its extra features. Confirm the cluster and compute rates in the Oracle Cloud cost estimator for your region.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 12 inputs: Pods to run, OCPU request per pod, Memory request per pod, OCPUs per worker node, Memory per worker node, Pod ceiling per node, Capacity reserved for system components, Cluster type, Enhanced cluster price per hour, Price per OCPU-hour, Price per GB-hour of memory, Billed hours per month. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.