BigQuery Cost per Query Visibility with Labels

BigQuery is a significant contributor to Google Cloud costs, prompting users to seek ways to optimize expensive queries. Leveraging labels on query jobs offers a practical solution by allowing users to filter and track spending on a per-query basis, providing insights into which queries require optimization. BigQuery pricing primarily consists of compute and storage costs, with the challenge being the lack of a direct method to view query-specific costs within the native interface. Labels can be applied using the bq command-line tool or API, facilitating cost management despite limitations such as the inability to apply them retroactively or the tedious nature of manual labeling. By using labels, users can efficiently identify costly queries and take steps to reduce unnecessary expenses, contributing to effective cost control and resource utilization in BigQuery environments.