https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Is_the_death_penalty_more_expensive_than_life_in_prison#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20%E2%80%9CCombining%20all,but%20wasn't%5D.%E2%80%9D

"In the six states that have abolished capital punishment over the past decade, Republican and Democratic officials have also emphasized the cost of the death penalty as a major rationale. Even in states that retain the punishment, cost has played a central role in the conversion narratives of conservative lawmakers, public officials, and others who question the death penalty as a waste of taxpayer dollars.[4][5]"

Death penalty is more expensive to pursue than life in prison without parole.