cuesta
/ˈkwesta/
The Spanish phrase for "it costs" is cuesta.
cuesta is used to state the price of an item or service. When you want to ask "How much does it cost?", you typically phrase the question as ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may hear the phrase ¿Cuánto sale? to mean "How much does it go for?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Use cuestan if the items being priced are plural. To describe a price that was constant in the past or to say how much something used to cost, use the imperfect tense costaba.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkwesta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use es (it is) to state a price. Instead, you should use the verb costar or valer (to be worth) to express price.
Did you know?
- The word cuesta is related to the English word 'coast', as both derive from the Latin costa meaning 'rib' or 'side'.
- In Spanish, there is a common idiom costar un ojo de la cara, which literally translates to 'costing an eye from the face' to describe something extremely expensive.
- The noun cuesta can also mean a 'slope' or 'hill', a concept stemming from its original Latin meaning of a 'side' or 'rib'.
Examples in context
- Cuesta un ojo de la cara.It costs an arm and a leg.This example shows an idiom for something being very expensive using cuesta.Tatoeba #566128 by Shishir, translation #2247 by CM
- Quisiera saber cuánto cuesta.I would like to know how much it costs.This example uses cuesta to ask for a price.Tatoeba #2169391 by marcelostockle, translation #2574488 by Dejo
- ¡Prestar dinero cuesta dinero!It costs money to borrow money!This example uses cuesta to describe the cost of an action.Tatoeba #1581902 by termito2nd, translation #1121808 by megamanenm
- ¿Cuánto cuesta el libro?How much does the book cost?
- ¿Cuánto vale la entrada?How much is the ticket?
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at a menu in a café.
- LucíaJavier, ¿cuánto cuesta el postre?Javier, how much does the dessert cost?
- JavierCuesta cinco euros, Lucía.It costs five euros, Lucía.
- LucíaEs un poco caro.It is a bit expensive.
- JavierSí, pero es muy bueno.Yes, but it is very good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
