An Azure region is a geographic area containing one or more data centers where you can deploy cloud resources. Choosing a region lets you place an application closer to its users, which can reduce latency. It can also help you meet compliance requirements. The same basic deployment approach works across regions, but not every service is available everywhere. section 1.0
Before choosing a region, check what matters to the workload:
- Users and rules: favor a location that serves users well and meets applicable compliance requirements. section 1.0
- Features and cost: a VM’s region can affect available features, sizes, and price; network traffic may add costs. section 3.2.1
- Resilience: availability zones provide separate locations within some regions, while paired regions support business continuity and disaster recovery. These are different choices from simply selecting a nearby location. section 1.3.2 section 3.2.1
Choosing a location for a VM
Suppose you are creating a VM and the nearest region looks like the obvious choice. Check its price and availability options before clicking Create: the listed average hourly VM price is $1.24 in West US 3 versus $1.50 in West US. Moving later can be a chore, although Azure Resource Mover provides a managed way to move eligible resources to another region. section 3.2.1
Table 3.1 Average VM price per region (USD)
| Region name |
Average price per VM per hour (USD) |
|---|---|
| Central India |
1.11 |
| North Central US |
1.21 |
| West US 3 |
1.24 |
| West US 2 |
1.26 |
| East US |
1.28 |
| Sweden Central |
1.29 |
| East US 2 |
1.31 |
| West Central US |
1.4 |
| Canada Central |
1.41 |
| Spain Central |
1.41 |
| Canada East |
1.42 |
| France Central |
1.42 |
| Korea South |
1.44 |
| Central US |
1.46 |
| Germany West Central |
1.46 |
| Indonesia Central |
1.46 |
| North Europe |
1.46 |
| New Zealand North |
1.48 |
| UK South |
1.5 |
| West US |
1.5 |
| Italy North |
1.51 |
| Mexico Central |
1.51 |
| UK West |
1.51 |
| Poland Central |
1.52 |
| South Central US |
1.52 |
| Israel Central |
1.53 |
| Qatar Central |
1.53 |
| US Gov AZ |
1.55 |
| US Gov TX |
1.55 |
| US Gov Virginia |
1.55 |
Compare the listed average hourly VM prices across regions; geography alone does not tell you what a location will cost. section 3.2.1
Region choice also appears when creating services beyond VMs. In the Azure Portal’s Key Vault creation wizard, pick a region close to the services that will use the vault, subject to compliance rules. Decide early: a region is a deployment decision, not just a label on a form. section 6.8.1 section 3.2.1
