actual cost

American  

noun

1. the cost of a product based on incurred costs of material and labor required in its production.

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Example Sentences

Work to replace water pipes in Osaka, a city of 2.8 million residents, has hit a snag as the actual cost exceeded the planned budget, according to local media.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The long sought change would allow subsidies to better reflect the actual cost of running a day-care home or center.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

It dramatically drove up the resolution cost of the S&L crisis from an estimated $25 billion had the problem been addressed in 1983 to an actual cost of $160 billion by the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

The cost-of-living adjustment can’t keep up with the actual cost of living, as retirees’ costs climb.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

But with parcels, cost of transportation is an appreciable item for every parcel, and in a country of vast distances there must be an appreciable variation in the actual cost for each parcel.

From The Development of Rates of Postage An Historical and Analytical Study by Smith, A. D.