How to Install Kubecost: Full Installation Guide

Kubecost is a tool for monitoring and managing costs in Kubernetes. It helps you understand in real time how much resources (CPU, RAM, storage, etc.) each component (pod, service, namespace, deployment) is consuming, and how that translates into money. It is mainly used to monitor costs per service and optimize resource usage.

Kubecost brings cost transparency, letting you see how much each application or namespace costs. Unused resources are automatically identified.

This tool is useful for DevOps engineers in managing and optimizing resources, financial analysts in tracking infrastructure spending, and project managers in allocating costs across teams and projects.

In this article, we’ll go through the installation, integration, and initial configuration of Kubecost.

Installing Kubecost

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Let’s walk through the installation of Kubecost step by step.

Step Zero: Create and Connect to a Kubernetes Cluster

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To use Kubecost, you’ll need:

• A Kubernetes cluster with a supported version (1.16 or newer).
• Sufficient resources in the cluster (a minimum of 2 CPUs and 4 GB RAM is recommended for Kubecost pods).
• A cluster management tool like kubectl.

Hostman’s cloud infrastructure provides the ability to create a Kubernetes cluster with a recommended configuration (2 CPUs @ 3.3 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 60 GB NVMe).

We described the process of creating a cluster in the documentation. For easier monitoring, you can also install the Kubernetes Dashboard with a single click.

Once the cluster is created, connect to it—we recommend using Lens. The connection process is also described in detail in our docs.

You’ll need a terminal with the cluster’s context. To access it, navigate to the Overview tab in Lens and click the Terminal button located at the bottom.

All command-line operations will be performed in this terminal.

Step One: Choose a Storage Type

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Kubernetes requires dedicated storage to function properly. For development, Local Path Provisioner is a good option; for production, we recommend an external fault-tolerant storage solution.

Local Path Provisioner

This is convenient in test and local environments where a single node and low fault tolerance are sufficient. However, in clusters with multiple nodes under active testing, it may not be enough since it’s limited to local disks.

Here’s how to install it using Rancher’s ready-made manifest:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rancher/local-path-provisioner/master/deploy/local-path-storage.yaml | kubectl apply -f -

Expected output:

namespace/local-path-storage created
serviceaccount/local-path-provisioner-service-account created
role.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/local-path-provisioner-role created
clusterrole.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/local-path-provisioner-role created
rolebinding.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/local-path-provisioner-bind created
clusterrolebinding.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/local-path-provisioner-bind created
deployment.apps/local-path-provisioner created
storageclass.storage.k8s.io/local-path created
configmap/local-path-config created

Ensure the pod is running:

kubectl get pods -n local-path-storage

Expected output:

NAME                               READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
local-path-provisioner-xxx         1/1     Running   0          68s

After installation, a StorageClass named local-path should appear:

kubectl get sc

Expected output:

NAME         PROVISIONER              ... VOLUMEBINDINGMODE     AGE
local-path   rancher.io/local-path    ... WaitForFirstConsumer  5s

To set the created local-path as the default storage class:

kubectl patch storageclass local-path \
  -p '{"metadata": {"annotations":{"storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class":"true"}}}'

Expected output:

storageclass.storage.k8s.io/local-path patched

External Storage

For production use, where highly available volumes and automatic node-failure recovery are important, choose more reliable solutions than Local Path Provisioner, such as S3 storage.

Step Two: Install Kubecost

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Add the Kubecost Helm repository and update it:

helm repo add kubecost https://kubecost.github.io/cost-analyzer/
helm repo update

Now use one of the following Helm commands:

If the cluster has a default StorageClass:

helm install kubecost kubecost/cost-analyzer \
  --namespace kubecost --create-namespace

If the cluster does NOT have a default StorageClass:

helm install kubecost kubecost/cost-analyzer \
  --namespace kubecost --create-namespace \
  --set global.storageClass=<STORAGECLASS>

Expected output:

Kubecost 2.x.x has been successfully installed.

Step Three: Verify Installation

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Check that the PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs) created by Kubecost are in Bound status:

kubectl get pvc -n kubecost

Expected output (trimmed for clarity):

NAME                         STATUS
kubecost-cost-analyzer       Bound
kubecost-prometheus-server   Bound

Make sure each PVC shows Bound.

Next, ensure all pods are running and error-free:

kubectl get pod -n kubecost

Expected output:

NAME                              READY   STATUS    RESTARTS
kubecost-cost-analyzer-xxx        4/4     Running   0
kubecost-forecasting-xxx          1/1     Running   0
kubecost-grafana-xxx              2/2     Running   0
kubecost-prometheus-server-xxx    1/1     Running   0

If you see this, Kubecost is installed correctly.

Step Four: Port Forwarding

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To manage Kubecost and view its metrics, you need to port-forward to your local machine.

First, identify the service used by Kubecost:

kubectl get svc -n kubecost

Expected output (trimmed):

NAME                       TYPE        CLUSTER-IP        EXTERNAL-IP   PORT
kubecost-cost-analyzer     ClusterIP   10.111.138.113    <none>        9090/TCP

The desired service is typically kubecost-cost-analyzer, and its port is 9090. Forward it:

kubectl port-forward -n kubecost service/kubecost-cost-analyzer 9090:9090

Expected output:

Forwarding from 127.0.0.1:9090 -> 9090
Forwarding from [::1]:9090 -> 9090

Now you can use Kubecost via the web UI at http://localhost:9090.

How to Configure Kubecost

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Go to the Settings tab (on the left, might be hidden) for initial configuration.

Cost Model Configuration

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Filling out this section is recommended for accurate cost calculations.

Scroll to the Pricing section and enable the Enable Custom Pricing toggle. The app will prompt you to enter resource pricing manually.

If using Hostman, you can find this pricing info on the Create Cluster page, under section 3. Worker Nodes Configuration, tab Custom. There, sliders will display the cost of the selected configuration.

Note: In Hostman, the cost of fixed-configuration worker nodes is lower than that of equivalent custom-configured ones.

Example field entry:

* — Not used in Hostman.

Custom Labels

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Labels are used to identify, group, and detail costs associated with Kubernetes resources.

Scroll to the Labels section. It’s similar in layout to the cost model section.

* — supports CSV format.

Prometheus Status Check

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Kubecost retrieves metrics from Prometheus.

Scroll down to Prometheus Status—it’s near the bottom of the Settings page. You should see green checkmarks for each metric (as shown in the screenshot).

If metrics are missing, Kubecost may not work as expected.

For full diagnostics, visit: http://localhost:9090/diagnostics.

Alert Configuration

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Kubecost can notify users of unexpected events. Alerts can be sent via email, Slack, webhooks, or Microsoft Teams.

Go to the Alerts tab. Under Global Recipients, enter the contacts for global alert delivery.

Below that, you can define alert types and specific recipients. Each type is described below:

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Kubecost

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Sometimes, full uninstallation is required to fix issues—for example, if no default StorageClass was set during the initial install.

To remove Kubecost completely:

helm uninstall kubecost -n kubecost
kubectl delete ns kubecost

To reinstall, follow Step Two again.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

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Conclusion

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Kubecost is a powerful tool for monitoring and optimizing Kubernetes costs. It helps make infrastructure spending transparent and manageable. This guide covered the full installation and configuration process, including cluster preparation, choosing a storage class, Helm-based deployment, cost model setup, and Prometheus integration.

Effective use of Kubecost not only helps reduce expenses but also improves resource management across teams, projects, and applications. By following this guide, you’ll be able to deploy and tailor Kubecost to suit your infrastructure needs.