Guide
How to check your Claude Code cost
Claude Code does not show a running dollar total by default. Here are the three honest ways to see it.
1. The built-in /cost command
Inside a Claude Code session, type `/cost` for a session summary, or `/usage` for your official 5-hour and weekly limit percentages. This covers the current session only — it does not aggregate across projects or days.
2. The ccusage CLI
`npx ccusage@latest` reads the JSONL transcripts under `~/.claude/projects` and prints per-day and per-model cost. It is free and accurate for most usage, though its `calculate` mode under-bills 1-hour cache writes (see the cache-cost guide).
3. A live menu-bar total (JP the Cat)
JP the Cat keeps a running dollar figure in your menu bar, computed from the same local logs and priced to the cent — including the 5-minute vs 1-hour cache-write split. Nothing leaves your Mac: no API key, no account.
Common questions
- Where does Claude Code store the data cost is computed from?
- In JSONL transcripts under `~/.claude/projects` — each request records input, output, and cache token counts.
- Is the cost real money or an estimate?
- It is your real per-token cost at Anthropic's published rates. On a Max subscription it is what that usage would meter at API prices.
See your real numbers with JP the Cat
A light, local menu-bar meter for Claude Code, Codex, Grok, and Muse Spark — real cost, honest limits.
Download MeowPrefer Homebrew? Install the same signed, notarized app from JP's public tap.
brew tap 8bittts/jpthecat
brew trust 8bittts/jpthecat
brew install --cask jpthecat