Documentation
Project Cost & Budget for Jira · Updated July 2026
1. Getting started
- Install the app from the Atlassian Marketplace (Jira Cloud).
- You need to be a Jira administrator to configure rates and budgets — all cost data is admin-only by design.
- Make sure your team logs work on issues (Jira's built-in Log work) and, ideally, sets Original estimates — estimates power the planned-cost figure.
2. Set hourly rates
Open Apps → Cost Settings (Rates) in the Jira top navigation.
- Default rate — applies to anyone without a personal rate.
- Per-user rates — pick a user and set their rate.
- Effective-from date — every rate starts on a date. Work logged before that date is costed at whichever rate was in effect on the day the work was done. Add a new rate with a later date when someone's rate changes — don't edit history. This is what keeps last quarter's numbers accurate.
- Currency — a display label (e.g. USD, EUR) used across all figures. The app does not convert between currencies.
3. Set a project budget
Open your project → Project Budget tab → Set project budget. One budget amount per project. The dashboard then shows:
| Figure | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Actual cost | Labour (logged hours × rates) + accrued recurring expenses |
| Remaining / Spent % | Budget minus actual, and actual as % of budget |
| Planned (from estimates) | Original estimates × rates — the labour cost if work goes to plan |
| Forecast at completion | Current burn rate projected over the remaining estimated work, plus expenses |
| Status flag | On budget · Trending over · Over budget |
4. Recurring expenses
Fixed monthly costs (tool licences, retainers, subscriptions) added on the Project Budget page. Each expense accrues once per month from its start date and is folded into the project's actual cost — so the dashboard reflects the true spend, not just labour.
5. Per-issue cost
Every issue gets an Issue cost panel: total logged hours and, for Jira administrators, the cost per person calculated from the rate in effect on each worklog's date. Non-administrators see hours only — never money.
6. CSV breakdown
Export CSV on the Project Budget page produces a copy-ready per-person breakdown (hours, cost), recurring expenses and totals. Select, copy, and paste it straight into Excel or Google Sheets.
7. AI budget summary
Explain budget (AI) generates a short plain-English narrative of where the project stands and what is driving the cost — labour, recurring expenses, or both. It runs on Atlassian-hosted AI: only the aggregated numeric budget figures are sent, nothing leaves Atlassian's cloud, and nothing is stored.
Permissions & privacy
- All cost figures, rates, budgets and expenses are restricted to Jira administrators, enforced on the server.
- The app stores only your configuration (rates, currency, budgets, expenses) in Forge storage inside your Atlassian instance. Worklogs are read live from Jira and never copied out.
- Built on Atlassian Forge — no external servers, no data egress. See the privacy policy.
FAQ
Why don't I see any costs?
Either no rates are configured yet (set a default rate first), no work has been logged, or you are not a Jira administrator — non-admins see hours only.
Someone's rate changed — what do I do?
Add a new rate for them with the new effective-from date. Historical work keeps the old rate; new work uses the new one.
Does it handle multiple currencies?
One currency label per site. There is no FX conversion.
Which Jira products are supported?
Jira Cloud (Software). Jira Service Management is not currently supported.
Support
Email support@costbudget.app — we aim to reply within 48 hours.