Is GPT-4.1 Mini or GPT-5.5 cheaper?

For a typical request (10,000 input + 2,000 output tokens), GPT-4.1 Mini is cheaper — about 93% less, or roughly $10280 saved per 100,000 requests. GPT-4.1 Mini runs $0.4/$1.6 per 1M input/output tokens; GPT-5.5 runs $5/$30.

Which has the larger context window?

GPT-5.5, at 1,050,000 tokens versus 1,047,576.

How accurate are these token counts?

GPT-4.1 Mini: Exact tokenization via the canonical OpenAI vocab (o200k_base). GPT-5.5: Exact tokenization via the canonical OpenAI vocab (o200k_base). The dollar math itself is exact once the token count is known.

GPT-4.1 Mini vs GPT-5.5: pricing & cost comparison

On input tokens, GPT-4.1 Mini is the cheaper of the two — 92% less per million ($0.4 vs $5). On output, GPT-4.1 Mini is 95% cheaper ($1.6 vs $30) — and since output is usually the dominant cost driver, that gap matters more than it looks.

Side by side

	GPT-4.1 Mini	GPT-5.5
Input / 1M tokens	$0.4	$5
Output / 1M tokens	$1.6	$30
Context window	1,047,576	1,050,000
Token-count accuracy	exact	exact
Cost — 10,000 input + 2,000 output tokens	$0.0072	$0.11

What a real request costs

Take a representative turn — 10,000 input + 2,000 output tokens. GPT-4.1 Mini comes to $0.0072, GPT-5.5 to $0.11. Across 100,000 requests that's a $10280 swing in favour of GPT-4.1 Mini. To run the numbers on your actual prompt, paste it into the calculator and toggle Compare across all models.

Same vendor — an easy switch

Moving between GPT-4.1 Mini and GPT-5.5 is a same-vendor move — one SDK, one tokenizer, so no recalibration. That makes this a straight cost/quality call: send the routine bulk of traffic to GPT-4.1 Mini ($0.4/$1.6 per 1M) and reserve GPT-5.5 for the requests that visibly need its extra headroom. On the worked example above that split is worth about 93% per request — small per call, real money once you multiply by volume.

See the full breakdown on the dedicated pages for GPT-4.1 Mini and GPT-5.5.

FAQ

Is GPT-4.1 Mini or GPT-5.5 cheaper?: For a typical request (10,000 input + 2,000 output tokens), GPT-4.1 Mini is cheaper — about 93% less, or roughly $10280 saved per 100,000 requests. GPT-4.1 Mini runs $0.4/$1.6 per 1M input/output tokens; GPT-5.5 runs $5/$30.
Which has the larger context window?: GPT-5.5, at 1,050,000 tokens versus 1,047,576.
How accurate are these token counts?: GPT-4.1 Mini: Exact tokenization via the canonical OpenAI vocab (o200k_base). GPT-5.5: Exact tokenization via the canonical OpenAI vocab (o200k_base). The dollar math itself is exact once the token count is known.

Both prices are computed from tokenmath's verified pricing table. Rates sourced from openai.com and developers.openai.com, verified 2026-07-06. Vendor pricing changes often — confirm before you commit.