one can insert in context a cost at one point for instance the 'one time buy' of m a rifles by the us army was for a unit cost of even then contracts are not exact either a contract can have penalties incentives delivery costs support costs development costs and an absurd array of factors which make any one number meaningless take the b if you're fond of aircraft prices for individual planes hovered between m and b depending on who you asked prices when they included the cost of development and support infrastructure have topped billion that's a lie of course if you were to have added one bomber to the end of the production run it would have cost around m extra is that the actual cost of the bomber then