How much does bandwidth REALLY cost to the host provider? If you go over the your limit, you have to pay like $3-5 per gig of bandwidth you used extra. Does bandwidth really cost that high?

In the u.s., it usually cost between $1.50 to $5 per gig.

Well this all depends on how you define host provider. If you are talking about Tier 1 providers like MCI/Sprint/Level 3 , etc.. then bandwidth is based on the cost of maintaining a global network of Fiber. If you mean Data Centers or NOCs cost is relative and based on what they are paying for their connection. MCI won't charge you per gigabyte for an OC-12 Line, they will just make you pay $240,000 a month for the connection. If you Mean a host renting space in a NOC, bandwidth is usually billed per GB and is generally around $3/GB.

Hope this helps.