This document presents a cost model for comparing radio frequency identification (RFID)-based traceability information systems. The cost model considers parameters such as the number of companies in the supply chain, average item records, message size, item record size, bandwidth, and processing speed. The model is intended to quantitatively compare different traceability systems and evaluate how costs may change based on the structure and depth of the supply chain. Future work plans to add more detail to the model and validate it using real traceability systems.