diff --git a/src/browser/components/RightSidebar/CostsTab.tsx b/src/browser/components/RightSidebar/CostsTab.tsx
index 91e3d25f83..e1d6645616 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/RightSidebar/CostsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/components/RightSidebar/CostsTab.tsx
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ const CostsTabComponent: React.FC<CostsTabProps> = ({ workspaceId }) => {
                       name: "Cache Create",
                       tokens: displayUsage.cacheCreate.tokens,
                       cost: displayUsage.cacheCreate.cost_usd,
-                      color: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cached,
+                      color: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cacheCreate,
                       show: displayUsage.cacheCreate.tokens > 0,
                     },
                     {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ const CostsTabComponent: React.FC<CostsTabProps> = ({ workspaceId }) => {
                               className="h-full transition-[width] duration-300"
                               style={{
                                 width: `${cacheCreateCostPercentage}%`,
-                                background: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cached,
+                                background: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cacheCreate,
                               }}
                             />
                           )}
diff --git a/src/browser/stories/App.rightsidebar.stories.tsx b/src/browser/stories/App.rightsidebar.stories.tsx
index 836d89155a..1cb11ff19e 100644
--- a/src/browser/stories/App.rightsidebar.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/stories/App.rightsidebar.stories.tsx
@@ -101,6 +101,60 @@ export const CostsTab: AppStory = {
   },
 };
 
+/**
+ * Costs tab showing cache create vs cache read differentiation.
+ * Cache create (orange) is typically more expensive than cache read (grey).
+ * This story uses realistic Anthropic-style usage where most input is cached.
+ */
+export const CostsTabWithCacheCreate: AppStory = {
+  render: () => (
+    <AppWithMocks
+      setup={() => {
+        localStorage.setItem(RIGHT_SIDEBAR_TAB_KEY, JSON.stringify("costs"));
+        localStorage.setItem(RIGHT_SIDEBAR_COSTS_WIDTH_KEY, "350");
+
+        return setupSimpleChatStory({
+          workspaceId: "ws-cache-create",
+          workspaceName: "feature/caching",
+          projectName: "my-app",
+          messages: [
+            createUserMessage("msg-1", "Refactor the auth module", { historySequence: 1 }),
+            createAssistantMessage("msg-2", "I'll refactor the authentication module.", {
+              historySequence: 2,
+            }),
+          ],
+          sessionUsage: {
+            byModel: {
+              "anthropic:claude-sonnet-4-20250514": {
+                // Realistic Anthropic usage: heavy caching, cache create is expensive
+                input: { tokens: 2000, cost_usd: 0.006 },
+                cached: { tokens: 45000, cost_usd: 0.0045 }, // Cache read: cheap
+                cacheCreate: { tokens: 30000, cost_usd: 0.1125 }, // Cache create: expensive!
+                output: { tokens: 3000, cost_usd: 0.045 },
+                reasoning: { tokens: 0, cost_usd: 0 },
+                model: "anthropic:claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
+              },
+            },
+            version: 1,
+          },
+        });
+      }}
+    />
+  ),
+  play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
+    const canvas = within(canvasElement);
+
+    // Wait for costs to render - cache create should be dominant cost
+    await waitFor(
+      () => {
+        canvas.getByText("Cache Create");
+        canvas.getByText("Cache Read");
+      },
+      { timeout: 5000 }
+    );
+  },
+};
+
 /**
  * Review tab selected - click switches from Costs to Review tab
  * Verifies per-tab width persistence: starts at Costs width (350px), switches to Review width (700px)
diff --git a/src/browser/styles/globals.css b/src/browser/styles/globals.css
index 6fd6c90d77..2ad1077c8f 100644
--- a/src/browser/styles/globals.css
+++ b/src/browser/styles/globals.css
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@
     --color-token-input: hsl(120 40% 35%);
     --color-token-output: hsl(207 100% 40%);
     --color-token-cached: hsl(0 0% 50%);
+    --color-token-cache-create: hsl(30 90% 50%);
 
     /* Plan surfaces */
     --surface-plan-gradient: linear-gradient(
@@ -383,6 +384,7 @@
   --color-token-input: hsl(125 45% 36%);
   --color-token-output: hsl(207 90% 40%);
   --color-token-cached: hsl(210 16% 50%);
+  --color-token-cache-create: hsl(30 85% 45%);
 
   --surface-plan-gradient: linear-gradient(
     135deg,
@@ -622,6 +624,7 @@
   --color-token-input: #859900;
   --color-token-output: #268bd2;
   --color-token-cached: #839496;
+  --color-token-cache-create: #cb4b16;
 
   --surface-plan-gradient: linear-gradient(135deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 94%) 0%, color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 97%) 100%);
   --surface-plan-border: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 78%);
@@ -836,6 +839,7 @@
   --color-token-input: #859900;
   --color-token-output: #268bd2;
   --color-token-cached: #586e75;
+  --color-token-cache-create: #cb4b16;
 
   --surface-plan-gradient: linear-gradient(135deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 92%) 0%, color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 95%) 100%);
   --surface-plan-border: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-plan-mode), transparent 70%);
diff --git a/src/common/utils/tokens/tokenMeterUtils.ts b/src/common/utils/tokens/tokenMeterUtils.ts
index 51caf8774b..2504363c0e 100644
--- a/src/common/utils/tokens/tokenMeterUtils.ts
+++ b/src/common/utils/tokens/tokenMeterUtils.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { supports1MContext } from "../ai/models";
 
 export const TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS = {
   cached: "var(--color-token-cached)",
+  cacheCreate: "var(--color-token-cache-create)",
   input: "var(--color-token-input)",
   output: "var(--color-token-output)",
   thinking: "var(--color-thinking-mode)",
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ const SEGMENT_DEFS: SegmentDef[] = [
   {
     type: "cacheCreate",
     key: "cacheCreate",
-    color: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cached,
+    color: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.cacheCreate,
     label: "Cache Create",
   },
   { type: "input", key: "input", color: TOKEN_COMPONENT_COLORS.input, label: "Input" },