Project Usage & Subscription Cost Analysis
Project Usage & Subscription Cost Analysis
Oriol Vallès Codina · April 2026
Overview
This document summarises AI and software subscription costs (March–April 2026), how they map to different research projects, and the key tools used in each workflow.
Subscriptions: What Each Service Does
Claude (Anthropic)
Claude Pro / Claude Code is the primary AI assistant and agentic coding environment used across all research projects. In this workflow it is used as a pair programmer and research assistant: it reads and writes code (R, Python, JavaScript), navigates codebases, builds data pipelines, edits HTML/CSS/JS for interactive outputs, debugs errors, and helps draft and edit academic writing. Claude Code (the CLI tool used here) goes beyond chat — it executes shell commands, edits files, runs scripts, and manages git. The Claude Sonnet 4.6 model is the default; Opus 4.7 is available for complex reasoning tasks.
ChatGPT Plus (OpenAI)
ChatGPT is used as a secondary AI assistant, primarily for long-form writing, mathematical derivations, and cases where a second AI perspective is useful for cross-checking. GPT-4o handles most tasks; the o1/o3 reasoning models are used for hard mathematical or logical problems (equation notation, formal model setup).
Windsurf Pro (Codeium / Exafunction)
Windsurf is an AI-powered IDE (code editor), similar to VS Code but with deep in-editor AI assistance. It provides inline code completion, refactoring suggestions, and a chat interface directly in the editor. Used primarily for Python and R development where IDE-level autocomplete is valuable. Complements Claude Code by operating at the file-editing layer while Claude Code handles multi-file projects and shell operations.
Posit Connect Cloud
Posit Connect Cloud is the hosting platform for R-based interactive applications (Shiny apps). It was used to host the CVCE Shiny app (the original R Shiny version of the Clean Value Chain Explorer) so that collaborators at NZIPL/Johns Hopkins could access it via a web URL. Cancelled in March 2026 when the project moved to a pure static-HTML architecture deployed on GitHub Pages (no server needed).
Receipts Summary: March 6 – April 30, 2026
By subscription (USD, EUR@1.17 for Anthropic)
| Service | What it does (brief) | Months | Per month | Total USD | PDFs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (Anthropic) | Primary AI assistant + agentic coding | 2 months active | €18 sub + variable overages | $366.65 (€313.38 × 1.17) | 7 (recent); 4 missing |
| ChatGPT Plus (OpenAI) | Secondary AI, writing + math | 16 months (Jan 2025–Apr 2026) | $21.63 | $346.08 | 9 (Aug 2025–Apr 2026) |
| Windsurf Pro (Exafunction) | AI-powered IDE / code editor | 7 months (Sep 2025–Mar 2026) | $16.22 | $113.54 | 7 ✓ complete |
| Posit Connect Cloud | Shiny app hosting (cancelled Mar 2026) | 6 months (Sep 2025–Feb 2026) | $20.54 | $123.24 | 6 ✓ complete |
| TOTAL | $949.51 |
EUR→USD conversion: 1.17 (Wise transfer calculator rate, April 2026)
Anthropic detail (invoice sequence NJJAFZLE-XXXX)
| Invoice | Date | Amount | Type | Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0001 | Mar 6 2026 | €21.78 | Claude Pro – month 1 | CVCE setup |
| 0002 | Mar 23 | €6.05 | Extra usage €5 | LEEDS_MODEL |
| 0003 | Mar 31 | €6.05 | Extra usage €5 | LEEDS_MODEL |
| 0004 | Apr 1 | €24.20 | Extra usage €20 | LEEDS_MODEL |
| 0005 | Apr 2 | €24.20 | Extra usage €20 | LEEDS_MODEL (submission sprint) |
| 0006 | Apr 2 | €24.20 | Extra usage €20 | LEEDS_MODEL (submission sprint) |
| 0007 | Apr 6 | €21.78 | Claude Pro – month 2 | CVCE |
| 0008 | Apr 8 | €46.28 | Extra usage €38.25 | CVCE (PC scatter, type→role rename) |
| 0009 | Apr 15 | €46.28 | Extra usage €38.25 | CVCE (Global Atlas, Chile Atlas, IR) |
| 0010 | Apr 28 | €46.28 | Extra usage €38.25 | CVCE + CONSERVATION |
| 0011 | Apr 29 | €46.28 | Extra usage €38.25 | CVCE + CONSERVATION |
| Total | €313.38 |
April 2026 alone: €279.50 (8 charges: 1 Pro sub + 7 overages of €6–€46 each)
Project Attribution (speculative, based on git history + file timestamps)
| Project | Period active | Estimated Claude share | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVCE / NZIPL | Apr 8 → ongoing | ~51% (~€130) | 50+ git commits Apr 8–30; atlas, intelligence report, CVCE.html restructure |
| LEEDS_MODEL | Mar 23 → Apr 3 | ~23% (~€60) | 8 commits Apr 2 alone; submitted Apr 3; zero commits after |
| CONSERVATION papers | Apr 22 → ongoing | ~19% (~€50) | Files modified Apr 22, 25, 29, 30; no git repo |
| Mixed / setup | Mar 6–22 | ~7% | CVCE workplan, render scripts, within Pro limits |
Timeline narrative
- Mar 6–22: Claude Pro starts. CVCE Phase II setup — workplan render scripts, dendrite snapshots, deploy pipeline. Usage within Pro limits (no overages).
- Mar 23 – Apr 3 (LEEDS_MODEL sprint): Intensive MRIO equation work for Ecological Economics submission. Two €5 top-ups in March, then €20 × 3 in a 2-day submission sprint (Apr 1–2). Paper submitted to Ecological Economics SI on April 3.
- Apr 8 (CVCE resumes): 13 commits in one day — PC scatter viewer, type→role rename across entire codebase, OneDrive sync. First large top-up (€38.25).
- Apr 10–24 (CVCE intensive): Global Atlas v1, Chile Atlas, Brazil Atlas, Intelligence Report initial build. Second large top-up Apr 15.
- Apr 22+ (CONSERVATION parallel): Conservation/thermodynamics papers start appearing alongside CVCE. Apr 25: sraffa_acs_PRE, value_conservation_paper; Apr 29: econ_thermo_manuscript; Apr 30: full manuscript. Top-ups Apr 28–29 cover both CVCE (IR map debugging) and CONSERVATION (renders).
Cost Efficiency Assessment
April was an outlier
April 2026 was an exceptionally intensive month: LEEDS_MODEL submission + CVCE Phase II acceleration + CONSERVATION parallel work. Normal monthly spend should be lower.
Claude Max recommendation
At current usage intensity, Claude Max ($100/month) is cost-efficient:
- April Anthropic spend: €279.50 (~$327) — 3.3× what Max would cost
- Break-even: ~5 extra usage top-ups/month (you hit 7 in April alone)
With NZIPL Team subscription
If Johns Hopkins NZIPL provides a Claude Team seat:
- CVCE work (~51% of usage) moves to lab account
- Personal usage (CONSERVATION + other personal research) ~€120–130/month
- Personal Max ($100) still likely worth it given CONSERVATION intensity
- Key question: Can the Team seat be your personal account? If yes, Max may be redundant during CVCE-heavy periods.
Files
docs/receipts/subscription_costs.csv— full ledger (41 rows + total)docs/receipts/pdf/— 29 PDFs: 7 Anthropic (recent), 9 ChatGPT, 7 Windsurf, 6 Posit- Missing PDFs: 2 older Anthropic (Mar 6 + Mar 23) + 7 ChatGPT (Jan–Jul 2025, on page 1 of Stripe)
Generated April 30, 2026. EUR/USD conversion: 1.17 (Wise)