Today we will learn how to ask for prices in Spanish. If you wish to improve your Spanish and learn basics in order to get on well in daily life contexts, take a look at the blog of our Spanish school, El Rincón del Tándem 😊

Today we go shopping! Are you ready for that?

If you still do not know the basics to get on successfully in such a setting, this article will come in handy.

We are going to learn the most common ways to ask for prices in Spanish together with a short list of basic Spanish words related to shopping and money.

Let’s start!

¿Cuánto cuesta? 

¿Cuánto cuesta? is the most common way to ask for the price of an item or a service. We use “cuesta” (3rdperson singular form of the Spanish verb costar) when referring to a unit, while “cuestan” (3rdperson plural) is used for more items.

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta una máquina de coser Singer? = How much does a Singer sewing machine cost?
  • ¿Cuánto cuestan estos zapatos? = How much are these shoes?

¿Cuánto vale?

That is also a very basic and frequently used way to ask for price or value among Spanish native speakers. Unlike the phrase above, in this phrase we use the Spanish verb valer.

Valer has several meanings, among them, “to be worth”, “to cost”.

  • ¿Cuánto vale un viaje en globo? = How much is a trip in a hot-air balloon?
  • ¿Cuánto valen estos calcetines de lana? = How much are these wool socks?

We remind that vale is also a noun and an interjection. To know more, take a look at our article on the Spanish word: Vale. 😉

¿Qué precio tiene(n)…?

Another (slightly formal) way to ask for prices is ¿Qué precio tiene(n)…

  • ¿Qué precio tiene el servicio de limpieza de coches? = How much does the car cleaning service cost?
  • ¿Qué precio tienen las entradas del concierto? = How much are the concert tickets?

¿A cuanto está(n)….?

This phrase is mainly used in relation to food (especially, vegetables, fruits, etc.). Therefore, you will hear it a lot in a grocery or at the market.

  • ¿A cuanto está el kilo de tomates? – How much is a kilo of tomatoes?
  • ¿A cuanto están las mandarinas? – How much are the tangerines?

Lastly, let’s learn some basic Spanish words and phrases related to shopping and money:

  • Cuenta / Bill
  • Propina / Tip
  • Descuento / Discount
  • Rebajas / Sales
  • Tarifa / Fee
  • Cambio / Change
  • Factura / Invoice
  • Recibo / Receipt, bill
  • Pagar en efectivo / To pay in cash
  • Pagar con tarjeta de débito o crédito / To pay with credit or debit card
  • Pagar por transferencia bancaria / Paying by bank transfer

As usual, we hope you enjoyed your reading and have learnt how to ask for prices in Spanish 😊

Finally, if you want to learn Spanish or improve your level, our Spanish school, El Rincón el Tándem is happy to provide you with Spanish lessons, here in Valencia.

If you want to have a more immersive learning experience, you might be interested in our Intensive Spanish Course.

¡Hasta pronto!