# Suboptimal region for internet-only EC2 instance Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-region-for-internet-only-ec2-instance When an EC2 instance is dedicated primarily to internet-facing traffic, regional differences in data transfer pricing can drive a substantial portion... By: PointFive Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Suboptimal Region for Internet-Only EC2 Instance The short version When an EC2 instance is dedicated primarily to internet-facing traffic, regional differences in data transfer pricing can drive a substantial portion of total costs. PointFive Research Cloud cost research at PointFive AWS service [AWS EC2](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/aws-ec2) Category [Compute](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/compute) Reference CER-0088 Type Inefficient Architecture ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. Hosting such workloads in a region with higher egress rates leads to elevated expenses without improving performance. Migrating the workload to a lower-cost region can yield significant savings while maintaining equivalent service quality, especially when no strict latency or compliance requirements dictate the original location. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. EC2 instances are billed per second based on the selected instance type, operating system, and pricing model (On-Demand, Reserved, or Spot). Data transfer out to the public internet is billed separately per GB, and rates vary by AWS region. Some regions have significantly higher internet egress charges, which can disproportionately increase costs for internet-heavy workloads. ## How to detect 5 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify EC2 instances whose primary traffic flows are outbound to the public internet rather than within AWS or private networks - Review the region associated with each instance and compare public Data Transfer Out pricing against lower-cost regions - Assess latency requirements, regulatory considerations, and service availability constraints that may impact regional choices - Evaluate application dependencies, user location distribution, and DNS configurations to determine feasibility of migration - Validate migration plans with infrastructure, networking, and application teams before execution ## How to fix How to remove the waste. Migrate internet-focused EC2 instances to regions with lower Data Transfer Out pricing to optimize costs. Use methods such as AMI copies, EBS snapshots, or infrastructure-as-code templates to deploy the instance in the new region. Update DNS records, security groups, IAM roles, and route configurations as needed to complete the migration. Monitor performance after relocation to ensure that user experience and application behavior remain stable. ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud Documentation docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ec2/) - [EC2 On-Demand Instance Pricing - Data Transfer aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/on-demand/#Data_Transfer) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - AWS EC2 CER-0087 ### [Suboptimal Region for EC2 Instance](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-region-for-ec2-instance) Workloads are sometimes deployed in specific AWS regions based on legacy decisions, developer convenience, or perceived performance requirements. However, regional EC2 pricing can vary significantly, and placing instances in a suboptimal... Compute - AWS EC2 CER-0327 ### [Spot Instance Overreliance Without Effective Cost-Per-Performance Analysis](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/spot-instance-overreliance-without-cost-per-performance-analysis) Organizations frequently pursue aggressive Spot Instance adoption based on headline discount percentages - up to 90% off On-Demand pricing - without evaluating the effective cost per unit of work completed. While Spot pricing can deliver... Compute - AWS EC2 CER-0324 ### [Excessive On-Demand Compute Spend Due to Low Savings Plan and Reserved Instance Coverage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/excessive-on-demand-compute-spend-due-to-low-savings-plan-and-reserved-instance-coverage) AWS compute services charge the full published On-Demand rate when no commitment-based discount - such as a Savings Plan (SP) or Reserved Instance (RI) - is in effect. On-Demand pricing provides maximum flexibility, but it is also the most... Compute --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.