Gemini image generation cost: how it compares by category

Gemini image generation costs $0.0336 to $0.24 per image on Google's official price page, depending on the model and resolution. The cheapest tier is 1K output from Nano Banana 2.1 or Nano Banana 2 Lite, and the most expensive is Nano Banana Pro at 4K. For drafts, stay at 1K on a low-cost model. For final output, pay for the resolution you actually need.

Gemini image prices on Google's price page

These are the Google prices in my data, all per image:

Model	1K (1024x1024)	1K / 2K	4K (4096x4096)
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)	$0.067	not listed	$0.151
Nano Banana 2.1	$0.0336	not listed	$0.113
Nano Banana 2 Lite (Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image)	$0.0336	not listed	not listed
Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image)	not listed separately	$0.134	$0.24

Nano Banana Pro is priced as one tier for 1K and 2K, and a second tier for 4K. The 4K Pro price is the highest Gemini figure I recorded.

How Gemini compares with other image categories

The cheapest Gemini settings sit in the middle of the budget range, not at the bottom. Entry-level prices by provider, from official or listed prices:

OpenAI: GPT Image 2 at low quality is $0.006, and GPT Image 1 Mini at medium quality is $0.011.
Black Forest Labs: FLUX.2 [klein] 4B is $0.014, and FLUX.2 [pro] is $0.03.
Google Imagen: Imagen 4 Fast is $0.02, and Imagen 4 is $0.04.
Alibaba: Qwen-Image 3.0 is $0.03, and Qwen-Image 3.0 Pro is $0.04.
Recraft: Recraft V4.1 raster is $0.035.
ByteDance: Seedream 5.0 Lite is $0.035 on fal.ai.

Nano Banana 2 at 1K ($0.067) is close to other mid-range options: Ideogram 4.5 at medium quality is $0.06, and FLUX 3 Image at 1K is $0.048.

At the high end, the gap narrows:

Model	Price per image
Nano Banana Pro, 4K	$0.24
Ideogram 4.5, high quality	$0.22
GPT Image 2, high quality (1024x1024)	$0.211
Recraft V4.1 Pro, raster	$0.21
Nano Banana Pro, 1K / 2K	$0.134

Nano Banana Pro at 1K / 2K costs less than these other high-end settings. Only its 4K tier is above them.

Resolution tiers change the price

Within Gemini, moving from 1K to 4K raises the price on every model that lists both:

Nano Banana 2: $0.067 to $0.151.
Nano Banana 2.1: $0.0336 to $0.113.
Nano Banana Pro: $0.134 (1K / 2K) to $0.24.

Other providers show the same pattern. FLUX 3 Image goes from $0.048 at 1K to $0.607 at 4K, the steepest climb in my data. Seedream 5.0 Pro on Replicate goes from $0.045 at 1K to $0.09 at 2K. Resolution often moves the price more than the choice of model does.

Same Gemini model, different providers

Google is not the only seller. List prices for the same models differ:

Nano Banana 2 at 1K: $0.067 on Google and Replicate, $0.063 on WaveSpeed (starting price), $0.08 on fal.ai.
Nano Banana 2 at 4K: $0.151 on Google and Replicate, $0.16 on fal.ai.
Nano Banana Pro at 1K / 2K: $0.134 on Google and Together AI, $0.14 on WaveSpeed, $0.15 on fal.ai and Replicate.
Nano Banana Pro at 4K: $0.24 on Google and WaveSpeed, $0.3 on Replicate.

These are list prices only. I have not checked discounts, credits or minimum spend rules.

Draft work versus final output

Drafts: use 1K output from the cheapest tier. Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana 2 Lite both list $0.0336 per image, so you can iterate on composition and prompts cheaply. If you want a Gemini model but not the lowest tier, Nano Banana 2 at 1K is $0.067. If you only need rough concepts, non-Gemini options such as Imagen 4 Fast ($0.02) or GPT Image 2 at low quality ($0.006) cost less still.

Final output: pick by the size you need.

For print or large displays, you need a 4K tier: Nano Banana 2.1 at $0.113, Nano Banana 2 at $0.151, or Nano Banana Pro at $0.24.
If 2K is enough, Nano Banana Pro at $0.134 covers it at a lower price than its own 4K tier.
For web use at 1K, there is rarely a reason to pay the Pro price over the cheaper tiers unless a test shows a quality difference.

I did not measure image quality, so this advice is about price per image and the resolution you pay for. Before committing to a model for production, run a sample set at the tier you plan to use.

To estimate costs at your own volume, use the calculator. For how I collect and check prices, see the methodology.

FAQ

What is the cheapest Gemini image option?

On Google's price page, Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana 2 Lite both list $0.0336 per 1K (1024x1024) image. Nano Banana 2 at 1K is $0.067.

Is Nano Banana Pro more expensive than Nano Banana 2?

Yes, on Google's list. Nano Banana Pro is $0.134 at 1K / 2K and $0.24 at 4K. Nano Banana 2 is $0.067 at 1K and $0.151 at 4K.

Do prices change if I buy Gemini image output through a third party?

Yes. List prices for the same Gemini models differ on fal.ai, Replicate, WaveSpeed and Together AI. For example, Nano Banana Pro at 4K is $0.24 on Google and WaveSpeed, and $0.3 on Replicate.