Kubernetes Cost Optimisation: Right-Size Your Clusters

Kubernetes offers incredible flexibility, but that flexibility often comes with cloud sprawl. Studies show that the average Kubernetes deployment utilises only 35% of requested resources.

The first step is visibility. Deploy cost allocation tools that attribute spending to namespaces, labels, and teams. Without granular cost data, optimisation efforts are guesswork.

Right-sizing is the most impactful quick win. Analyse actual resource consumption over a 14-day window and adjust requests and limits accordingly. Tools like the Vertical Pod Autoscaler can automate this process.

Cluster autoscaling should be configured with appropriate min/max thresholds and node pool segmentation. Separate stateless workloads onto spot instances and reserve persistent nodes for stateful services.

Pod scheduling optimisation — using topology spread constraints, affinity rules, and pod disruption budgets — ensures efficient bin-packing across nodes without sacrificing reliability.

Clients who implement a comprehensive Kubernetes cost optimisation programme typically achieve 30-50% reductions in monthly cloud spend within the first quarter.