How much does it cost to publish an app on Google Play?
Google charges a one-time $25 registration fee to open a developer account — there is no annual renewal (unlike Apple's $99/year). After that, publishing is free; Google only takes a 15–30% service fee on paid apps and in-app purchases. The bigger hidden cost for new accounts is the 12-tester / 14-day waiting period before an app can go live.