Estimating the cost of a specific Kubernetes workload is challenging due to various complexities such as node capacity constraints, optimistic estimation methods, and fluctuating resource usage. To ease this pain, it's essential to use strategies like rightsizing nodes, adopting conservative estimation methods, managing requests and limits for workloads, and automating cost management through third-party solutions. Understanding the operational expenses of running Kubernetes, whether self-hosted or managed, is crucial to effectively manage costs and avoid cloud waste.