Cloud computing has revolutionized the way organizations manage their IT infrastructure, but it has also introduced new challenges, such as managing cloud costs. This paper explores various techniques for cloud cost optimization, including cloud pricing, analysis, and strategies for resource allocation. Real-world case studies of these techniques are presented, along with a discussion of their effectiveness and key takeaways. The analysis conducted in this paper reveals that organizations can achieve significant cost savings by adopting cloud cost optimization techniques. Additionally, future research directions are proposed to advance the state of the art in this important field.