How Do Transaction Size and Fee Relate to the ‘Fee Rate’?

The fee rate is the ratio of the total transaction fee to the transaction size, typically expressed in satoshis per virtual byte (sat/vB). This metric is the standard way miners compare transactions.

A larger transaction requires more block space, so even if it offers a high total fee, its fee rate might be lower than a smaller transaction with a moderate fee, making the smaller one more desirable.