Getting the export · Azure
How to export one month of Azure costs.
A Cost Management export, FOCUS or amortized, downloaded for last month: the clicks, the pitfalls and a sample file. One month is enough. The file is read in your browser tab and never uploaded.
Cost Management export
~10 MIN · READY IN A FEW MINUTESRecommended: every server is mapped exactly
- Open Cost Management → Exports and choose Create.
- Template Cost and usage details (FOCUS), the default, or amortized if you prefer the classic layout; both are read.
- Monthly, previous month, CSV, to a storage account. Run now, then download last month’s file from the container.
- Drop it here.
VM sizes map directly; managed disks are read from their tier (P10, E20 and so on); database vCores are sized as pools.
Things that trip people up
- The Download button on the Cost analysis page gives service totals only; it is read like a Cost Explorer file.
- Dates saved through Excel in US format (09/01/2026) are fine; so is a file with CostInUSD next to the billing currency.
- Reservation purchases, unused reservations and rounding lines are set aside, not counted as usage.
What the file needs to contain
Download a sample to compareColumn names are matched case-insensitively; extra columns are ignored.
- MeterCategory
- MeterName
- Quantity
- UnitOfMeasure
- CostInBillingCurrency or CostInUSD
- Date
- ChargeType
Have the file? Open the calculator and drop it in, or start from the Azure sample.