---
name: k8s-cost
description: Optimize Kubernetes costs through resource right-sizing, unused resource detection, and cluster efficiency analysis. Use for cost optimization, resource analysis, and capacity planning.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
author: rohitg00
version: "1.0.0"
tools: 8
category: observability
---
# Kubernetes Cost Optimization
Cost analysis and optimization using kubectl-mcp-server's cost tools.
## When to Apply
Use this skill when:
- User mentions: "cost", "savings", "optimize", "expensive", "budget"
- Operations: cost analysis, right-sizing, cleanup unused resources
- Keywords: "how much", "reduce", "efficiency", "waste", "overprovisioned"
## Priority Rules
| Priority | Rule | Impact | Tools |
|----------|------|--------|-------|
| 1 | Find and delete unused PVCs | CRITICAL | `find_orphaned_pvcs` |
| 2 | Right-size overprovisioned pods | HIGH | `get_resource_recommendations` |
| 3 | Identify idle LoadBalancers | HIGH | `get_services` |
| 4 | Scale down non-prod off-hours | MEDIUM | `scale_deployment` |
| 5 | Consolidate small namespaces | LOW | Analysis |
## Quick Reference
| Task | Tool | Example |
|------|------|---------|
| Namespace cost | `get_namespace_cost` | `get_namespace_cost(namespace)` |
| Cluster cost | `get_cluster_cost` | `get_cluster_cost()` |
| Unused PVCs | `find_orphaned_pvcs` | `find_orphaned_pvcs(namespace)` |
| Right-sizing | `get_resource_recommendations` | `get_resource_recommendations(namespace)` |
## Quick Cost Analysis
### Get Cost Summary
```python
get_namespace_cost(namespace)
get_cluster_cost()
```
### Find Unused Resources
```python
find_unused_resources(namespace)
find_orphaned_pvcs(namespace)
```
### Resource Right-Sizing
```python
get_resource_recommendations(namespace)
get_pod_metrics(name, namespace)
```
## Cost Optimization Workflow
### 1. Identify Overprovisioned Resources
```python
get_resource_recommendations(namespace="production")
get_pod_metrics(name, namespace)
get_resource_usage(namespace)
```
### 2. Find Idle Resources
```python
find_orphaned_pvcs(namespace)
find_unused_resources(namespace)
```
### 3. Analyze Node Utilization
```python
get_nodes()
get_node_metrics()
```
## Right-Sizing Guidelines
| Current State | Recommendation |
|--------------|----------------|
| CPU usage < 10% of request | Reduce request by 50% |
| CPU usage > 80% of request | Increase request by 25% |
| Memory < 50% of request | Reduce request |
| Memory near limit | Increase limit, monitor OOM |
## Cost by Resource Type
### Compute (Pods/Deployments)
```python
get_resource_usage(namespace)
get_pod_metrics(name, namespace)
```
### Storage (PVCs)
```python
get_pvc(namespace)
find_orphaned_pvcs(namespace)
```
### Network (LoadBalancers)
```python
get_services(namespace)
```
## Multi-Cluster Cost Analysis
Compare costs across clusters:
```python
get_cluster_cost(context="production")
get_cluster_cost(context="staging")
get_cluster_cost(context="development")
```
## Cost Reduction Actions
### Immediate Wins
1. **Delete unused PVCs**: `find_orphaned_pvcs()` then delete
2. **Right-size pods**: Apply `get_resource_recommendations()`
3. **Scale down dev/staging**: Off-hours scaling
### Medium-term Optimizations
1. **Use Spot/Preemptible nodes**: For fault-tolerant workloads
2. **Implement HPA**: Auto-scale based on demand
3. **Use KEDA**: Scale to zero for event-driven workloads
### Long-term Strategy
1. **Reserved instances**: For stable production workloads
2. **Multi-tenant clusters**: Consolidate small clusters
3. **Right-size node pools**: Match workload requirements
## Automated Analysis Script
For comprehensive cost analysis, see [scripts/find-overprovisioned.py](scripts/find-overprovisioned.py).
## KEDA for Cost Savings
Scale to zero with KEDA:
```python
keda_scaledobjects_list_tool(namespace)
keda_scaledobject_get_tool(name, namespace)
```
KEDA reduces costs by:
- Scaling pods to 0 when idle
- Event-driven scaling (queue depth, etc.)
- Cron-based scaling for predictable patterns
## Related Skills
- [k8s-autoscaling](../k8s-autoscaling/SKILL.md) - HPA, VPA, KEDA
- [k8s-troubleshoot](../k8s-troubleshoot/SKILL.md) - Resource debugging
