Question

A startup runs a small development VPC where private-subnet EC2 instances only occasionally need outbound internet access to download OS package updates a few times per week. The team currently uses a NAT gateway and is surprised by the recurring hourly charges plus data processing fees, even though actual traffic is minimal. They want to reduce cost while still allowing outbound-only internet access, and they accept slightly lower availability and some management overhead for this non-production environment. Which approach BEST reduces cost for this workload?

Accepted Answer

Replace the NAT gateway with a NAT instance running on a small EC2 instance type in a public subnet

Answer

Keep the NAT gateway but move it into the private subnet to avoid data processing charges

Answer

Attach an internet gateway and assign public IPs directly to the private-subnet instances

Answer

Deploy an additional NAT gateway in a second Availability Zone to spread the cost