Cheapest fighters with a published price
35 of the 65 fighters in the WeaponSpecs database publish a unit cost figure, and the top 25 are listed here. Ranked on the published number alone, lowest first, with no weighting and no composite score. The 30 fighters with no published figure are not ranked, absent data is never treated as a low value.
| # | System | Unit cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-10 Thunderbolt II | $19,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 2 | Su-75 Checkmate † | $27,500,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-24 |
| 3 | F/A-18C Hornet | $29,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 4 | MiG-29 † | $29,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 5 | F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon | $30,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 6 | FA-50 Golden Eagle | $30,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 7 | JAS 39C Gripen | $30,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 8 | JF-17 Thunder | $32,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 9 | JF-17 Thunder Block 3 | $32,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 10 | Mirage 2000-5 | $35,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 11 | Su-34 † | $36,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 12 | J-10C † | $40,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 13 | F-15C Eagle | $41,900,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 14 | MiG-35 † | $45,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 15 | Tejas Mk1A | $45,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 16 | Su-57 † | $50,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 17 | Su-30SM † | $50,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 18 | F-15E Strike Eagle | $53,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 19 | F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon | $63,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 20 | KF-21 Boramae | $65,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 21 | Su-35S † | $65,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 22 | F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | $66,900,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 23 | EA-18G Growler | $68,200,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 24 | F-35A Lightning II | $82,500,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
| 25 | JAS 39E Gripen | $85,000,000 | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01 |
Compiled from public manufacturer, defense-ministry and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations and are often stated under different conditions, so treat this ordering as directional rather than a tested result. A board is only generated where at least 5 systems in the class publish the figure. How we compile specs →
Other fighters rankings
Unit cost in other classes