diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.test.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ba850325956
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { KeyBudgetEntry } from "@/app/(dashboard)/hooks/keys/useKeyBudgets";
+import { budgetThresholdRule, isBlockingRow, severityRank } from "./KeyBudgetsTableColumns";
+
+const UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET = {
+  scope: "key",
+  entity_type: "key",
+  entity_id: null,
+  entity_label: null,
+  enforcement: "hard",
+  max_budget: null,
+  spend: 0,
+  remaining: null,
+  comparison: ">=",
+  budget_duration: null,
+  budget_reset_at: null,
+  window_start: null,
+  source: "key.max_budget",
+  status: "unlimited",
+  note: null,
+} as KeyBudgetEntry;
+
+const TEAM_MEMBER_AT_LIMIT: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+  ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+  scope: "team_member",
+  comparison: ">=",
+  max_budget: 50,
+  spend: 50,
+  remaining: 0,
+  status: "exceeded",
+};
+
+const TEAM_UNDER_LIMIT: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+  ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+  scope: "team",
+  comparison: ">",
+  max_budget: 300,
+  spend: 120,
+  remaining: 180,
+  status: "ok",
+};
+
+const INCLUSIVE_AT_300: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+  ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+  comparison: ">=",
+  max_budget: 300,
+  spend: 300,
+  remaining: 0,
+  status: "exceeded",
+};
+
+const EXCLUSIVE_AT_300: KeyBudgetEntry = { ...INCLUSIVE_AT_300, comparison: ">", status: "ok" };
+
+const SOFT_OVER: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+  ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+  enforcement: "soft",
+  comparison: ">=",
+  max_budget: 500,
+  spend: 900,
+  remaining: -400,
+  status: "exceeded",
+};
+
+const SUB_DOLLAR_LIMIT: KeyBudgetEntry = { ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET, comparison: ">", max_budget: 0.1 };
+
+const BLOCKING: KeyBudgetEntry = { ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET, status: "exceeded", enforcement: "hard" };
+const ALERT_ONLY: KeyBudgetEntry = { ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET, status: "exceeded", enforcement: "soft" };
+const HEALTHY: KeyBudgetEntry = { ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET, status: "ok", enforcement: "hard" };
+
+describe("budgetThresholdRule", () => {
+  it("marks an inclusive scope as blocking at the limit, so spend equal to it is already denied", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(TEAM_MEMBER_AT_LIMIT)).toBe("Blocks at ≥ $50.00");
+  });
+
+  it("marks an exclusive scope as blocking only above the limit", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(TEAM_UNDER_LIMIT)).toBe("Blocks at > $300.00");
+  });
+
+  it("distinguishes two scopes sitting on identical numbers by their operator alone", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(INCLUSIVE_AT_300)).toBe("Blocks at ≥ $300.00");
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(EXCLUSIVE_AT_300)).toBe("Blocks at > $300.00");
+  });
+
+  it("never promises a soft budget will block", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(SOFT_OVER)).toBe("Alerts at ≥ $500.00");
+  });
+
+  it("states no threshold for a scope with nothing configured", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps sub-dollar limits legible rather than rounding them to zero", () => {
+    expect(budgetThresholdRule(SUB_DOLLAR_LIMIT)).toBe("Blocks at > $0.10");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("isBlockingRow", () => {
+  it("counts only a hard budget that is over as blocking", () => {
+    expect(isBlockingRow(BLOCKING)).toBe(true);
+    expect(isBlockingRow(ALERT_ONLY)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isBlockingRow(HEALTHY)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isBlockingRow(UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("severityRank", () => {
+  it("ranks a blocking budget above an alert-only one, and both above healthy and unlimited", () => {
+    expect(severityRank(BLOCKING)).toBeLessThan(severityRank(ALERT_ONLY));
+    expect(severityRank(ALERT_ONLY)).toBeLessThan(severityRank(HEALTHY));
+    expect(severityRank(HEALTHY)).toBeLessThan(severityRank(UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.tsx
index e52d3c6d01f..e25088e383c 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/KeyBudgetsTableColumns.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   StatusBadge,
   type StatusTone,
 } from "@/components/shared/table_cells";
+import { formatNumberWithCommas } from "@/utils/dataUtils";
 
 const SCOPE_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   proxy: "Proxy",
@@ -37,6 +38,19 @@ const STATUS_ORDER: Record<string, number> = { exceeded: 0, ok: 1, unlimited: 2
 export const severityRank = (entry: KeyBudgetEntry): number =>
   (STATUS_ORDER[entry.status] ?? STATUS_ORDER.unlimited) * 2 + (isAlertOnly(entry) ? 1 : 0);
 
+const COMPARISON_GLYPH: Record<string, string> = { ">=": "≥", ">": ">" };
+
+/**
+ * Scopes disagree on whether hitting the limit exactly is over it: team_member enforces `>=`
+ * so 50 of 50 is already denied, while team enforces `>` so 300 of 300 still passes. Two rows
+ * can therefore show identical numbers and opposite statuses, so state each row's real threshold.
+ */
+export const budgetThresholdRule = (entry: KeyBudgetEntry): string | null => {
+  if (entry.max_budget == null) return null;
+  const threshold = `${COMPARISON_GLYPH[entry.comparison] ?? entry.comparison} $${formatNumberWithCommas(entry.max_budget, 2)}`;
+  return isAlertOnly(entry) ? `Alerts at ${threshold}` : `Blocks at ${threshold}`;
+};
+
 const statusPresentation = (entry: KeyBudgetEntry): { tone: StatusTone; label: string } => {
   if (entry.status === "unlimited") return { tone: "neutral", label: "Unlimited" };
   if (entry.status !== "exceeded") return { tone: "success", label: "Within budget" };
@@ -114,9 +128,15 @@ export const getKeyBudgetsTableColumns = (): ColumnDef<KeyBudgetEntry>[] => [
     header: "Spend / Limit",
     size: 200,
     enableSorting: false,
-    cell: ({ row }) => (
-      <SpendBudgetCell spend={row.original.spend} maxBudget={row.original.max_budget} budgetDecimals={2} />
-    ),
+    cell: ({ row }) => {
+      const rule = budgetThresholdRule(row.original);
+      return (
+        <div className="flex flex-col gap-0.5">
+          <SpendBudgetCell spend={row.original.spend} maxBudget={row.original.max_budget} budgetDecimals={2} />
+          {rule && <span className="whitespace-nowrap text-xs tabular-nums text-muted-foreground">{rule}</span>}
+        </div>
+      );
+    },
   },
   {
     id: "remaining",
@@ -138,6 +158,7 @@ export const getKeyBudgetsTableColumns = (): ColumnDef<KeyBudgetEntry>[] => [
         <StatusBadge
           tone={tone}
           label={label}
+          tooltip={budgetThresholdRule(row.original)}
           dataTestId={isBlockingRow(row.original) ? "key-budget-blocking" : undefined}
         />
       );
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_info_view.budgets_tab.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_info_view.budgets_tab.test.tsx
index 91d812bbf24..72ec022f257 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_info_view.budgets_tab.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_info_view.budgets_tab.test.tsx
@@ -271,6 +271,52 @@ describe("KeyInfoView Budgets tab", () => {
     expect(softRow).toHaveTextContent("alert only");
   });
 
+  it("explains why two rows on identical numbers get opposite statuses", async () => {
+    const inclusive: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+      ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+      scope: "team_member",
+      entity_type: "team_member",
+      entity_label: "alice @ Platform",
+      comparison: ">=",
+      max_budget: 300,
+      spend: 300,
+      remaining: 0,
+      status: "exceeded",
+    };
+    const exclusive: KeyBudgetEntry = {
+      ...UNCONFIGURED_BUDGET,
+      scope: "team",
+      entity_type: "team",
+      entity_label: "Platform",
+      comparison: ">",
+      max_budget: 300,
+      spend: 300,
+      remaining: 0,
+      status: "ok",
+    };
+    mockBudgets([inclusive, exclusive]);
+    const panel = await renderAndOpenBudgetsTab();
+
+    const blockedRow = rowFor(panel, "alice @ Platform");
+    const allowedRow = rowFor(panel, "Platform");
+
+    expect(blockedRow).toHaveTextContent("Blocks at ≥ $300.00");
+    expect(allowedRow).toHaveTextContent("Blocks at > $300.00");
+
+    expect(within(blockedRow).getByTestId("key-budget-blocking")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(allowedRow).queryByTestId("key-budget-blocking")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(allowedRow).getByText("Within budget")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    expect(blockedRow).toHaveTextContent("$300.0000 of $300.00");
+    expect(allowedRow).toHaveTextContent("$300.0000 of $300.00");
+  });
+
+  it("states no threshold for a scope with nothing configured", async () => {
+    const panel = await renderAndOpenBudgetsTab();
+
+    expect(rowFor(panel, "Acme Org")).not.toHaveTextContent("Blocks at");
+  });
+
   it("renders a scope with nothing configured as Unlimited rather than $0", async () => {
     const panel = await renderAndOpenBudgetsTab();