c4-highmem-2vsc4a-highmem-2
c4a-highmem-2 is 8% cheaper than c4-highmem-2 on demand in Iowa, saving $7.66 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-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $0.1284/hr | $0.1179/hr8% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.0578/hr3-yr committed use, no upfront | $0.0531/hr8% less3-yr committed use, no upfront |
| Size | 2 vCPUs, 15 GiB | 2 vCPUs, 16 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-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 vs c4-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 40% off$0.0768 | 51% off$0.0581 | ▼ 24% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$0.0809 | 34% off$0.0777 | ▼ 4% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.0578 | 55% off$0.0531 | ▼ 8% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where c4-highmem-2 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 16
8× higherWhere c4a-highmem-2 leads
On-demand price$0.1179 vs $0.1284 per hour
8% cheaperMemory (GiB)16 vs 15
7% higherSpecs
6 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 2 | 2 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Memory1 of 1 differ | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 15 | 16 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 10 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 16 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | c4 | c4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | C4 | C4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for c4-highmem-2 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | c4-highmem-2 | c4a-highmem-2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbusus-east5 | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $0.1284 | $0.1179 | ▼ 8% |
| Mumbaiasia-south1 | $0.1335 | $0.1226 | ▼ 8% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $0.1348 | $0.1238 | ▼ 8% |
| Stockholmeurope-north2 | $0.1348 | $0.1238 | ▼ 8% |
| Mexiconorthamerica-south1 | $0.1399 | $0.1285 | ▼ 8% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $0.1413 | $0.1298 | ▼ 8% |
| Finlandeurope-north1 | $0.1413 | $0.1298 | ▼ 8% |
| Johannesburgafrica-south1 | $0.1413 | $0.1298 | ▼ 8% |
| Montréalnorthamerica-northeast1 | $0.1413 | $0.1298 | ▼ 8% |
| Torontonorthamerica-northeast2 | $0.1413 | $0.1298 | ▼ 8% |
| Las Vegasus-west4 | $0.1446 | $0.1328 | ▼ 8% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $0.1463 | $0.1344 | ▼ 8% |
| Taiwanasia-east1 | $0.1486 | $0.1365 | ▼ 8% |
| Dallasus-south1 | $0.1515 | $0.1391 | ▼ 8% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $0.1515 | $0.1391 | ▼ 8% |
| Madrideurope-southwest1 | $0.1515 | $0.1391 | ▼ 8% |
| Los Angelesus-west2 | $0.1543 | $0.1417 | ▼ 8% |
| Warsaweurope-central2 | $0.1553 | $0.1426 | ▼ 8% |
| Dohame-central1 | $0.156 | $0.1432 | ▼ 8% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $0.1584 | $0.1454 | ▼ 8% |
| Sydneyaustralia-southeast1 | $0.1605 | $0.1474 | ▼ 8% |
| Tokyoasia-northeast1 | $0.1649 | $0.1514 | ▼ 8% |
| Melbourneaustralia-southeast2 | $0.1669 | $0.1532 | ▼ 8% |
| Zuricheurope-west6 | $0.1682 | $0.1544 | ▼ 8% |
| Jakartaasia-southeast2 | $0.1726 | $0.1585 | ▼ 8% |
| Santiagosouthamerica-west1 | $0.1836 | $0.1686 | ▼ 8% |
| São Paulosouthamerica-east1 | $0.2038 | $0.1872 | ▼ 8% |
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.