XAUUSD COSTS
Gold spread cost calculator
Turn a gold spread in points, pips or dollars into what it costs per trade, per month and per year for your lot size, and compare two brokers side by side.
- Cost per trade
- $20.00
- Per month
- $800.00
- Per year
- $9,600.00
Price must move this much just to break even: $0.20 / oz
How the gold spread is counted
One standard lot of XAUUSD is 100 ounces. A move of $0.01 in the price is one point on MT4 and MT5 and is worth $1 per lot; $0.10 is one pip, worth $10 per lot. A spread of 20 points ($0.20) therefore costs $20 on every one-lot round trip, paid when you open.
Why the spread matters more than it looks
For a scalper taking 100 trades a month, the difference between a 15-point and a 30-point spread is $1,500 a month on one lot. Spreads also widen at the daily rollover, around news and on Monday open; the average you pay is higher than the minimum a broker advertises.
FAQ
What is a good spread on gold?
On a raw or ECN account, 5–15 points plus commission is competitive; on a standard account with no commission, 15–30 points is typical. Compare the total, spread plus commission.
Is spread charged on both open and close?
No. You pay it once per round trip: you buy at the ask and later sell at the bid, and the gap between them is the spread.
Points or pips?
MT4 and MT5 show gold spreads in points (0.01). Many websites talk in pips (0.10). Divide points by 10 to get pips.