c4-highcpu-2vsc4a-highcpu-2
c4a-highcpu-2 is 11% cheaper than c4-highcpu-2 on demand in Iowa, saving $6.79 a month. They use different processor architectures (x86_64 and arm64), so software built for one may need rebuilding to run on the other.
| At a glance | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $0.0851/hr | $0.0758/hr11% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.0383/hr3-yr committed use, no upfront | $0.0341/hr11% less3-yr committed use, no upfront |
| Size | 2 vCPUs, 4 GiB | 2 vCPUs, 4 GiB |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
Prices in Iowa
“Off” is the discount against each type’s own on-demand price. Linux, USD per hour.
| Option | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 vs c4-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 40% off$0.0509 | 51% off$0.0373 | ▼ 27% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$0.0536 | 34% off$0.05 | ▼ 7% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.0383 | 55% off$0.0341 | ▼ 11% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where c4-highcpu-2 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 16
8× higherWhere c4a-highcpu-2 leads
On-demand price$0.0758 vs $0.0851 per hour
11% cheaperSpecs
5 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 2 | 2 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| MemoryAll 1 match | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 4 | 4 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 10 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 16 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | c4 | c4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | C4 | C4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for c4-highcpu-2 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | c4-highcpu-2 | c4a-highcpu-2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbusus-east5 | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $0.0851 | $0.0758 | ▼ 11% |
| Mumbaiasia-south1 | $0.0885 | $0.0788 | ▼ 11% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $0.0893 | $0.0795 | ▼ 11% |
| Stockholmeurope-north2 | $0.0893 | $0.0795 | ▼ 11% |
| Mexiconorthamerica-south1 | $0.0927 | $0.0826 | ▼ 11% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $0.0937 | $0.0834 | ▼ 11% |
| Finlandeurope-north1 | $0.0937 | $0.0834 | ▼ 11% |
| Johannesburgafrica-south1 | $0.0937 | $0.0834 | ▼ 11% |
| Montréalnorthamerica-northeast1 | $0.0937 | $0.0834 | ▼ 11% |
| Torontonorthamerica-northeast2 | $0.0937 | $0.0834 | ▼ 11% |
| Las Vegasus-west4 | $0.0958 | $0.0853 | ▼ 11% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $0.097 | $0.0864 | ▼ 11% |
| Taiwanasia-east1 | $0.0985 | $0.0877 | ▼ 11% |
| Dallasus-south1 | $0.1004 | $0.0894 | ▼ 11% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $0.1004 | $0.0894 | ▼ 11% |
| Madrideurope-southwest1 | $0.1004 | $0.0894 | ▼ 11% |
| Los Angelesus-west2 | $0.1022 | $0.0911 | ▼ 11% |
| Warsaweurope-central2 | $0.1029 | $0.0917 | ▼ 11% |
| Dohame-central1 | $0.1033 | $0.092 | ▼ 11% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $0.1049 | $0.0935 | ▼ 11% |
| Sydneyaustralia-southeast1 | $0.1063 | $0.0947 | ▼ 11% |
| Tokyoasia-northeast1 | $0.1092 | $0.0973 | ▼ 11% |
| Melbourneaustralia-southeast2 | $0.1106 | $0.0985 | ▼ 11% |
| Zuricheurope-west6 | $0.1114 | $0.0992 | ▼ 11% |
| Jakartaasia-southeast2 | $0.1144 | $0.1019 | ▼ 11% |
| Santiagosouthamerica-west1 | $0.1216 | $0.1083 | ▼ 11% |
| São Paulosouthamerica-east1 | $0.1351 | $0.1203 | ▼ 11% |
| Dammamme-central2 | $0.1361 | $0.1212 | ▼ 11% |
Keep exploring
Each type’s own page, and how it compares with others.
GCP Compute Engine Linux prices in USD. Monthly figures use 730 hours. Prices last updated 12 Nov 2026.