How Much Does It Cost
A slightly more formal way to ask 'What price does it have?'. Useful in shops or more formal settings.
Means 'How much is it worth?'. It's very common and used interchangeably with '¿Cuánto cuesta?' across Latin America.
A general 'How much is it?'. Use this when the item is obvious or when you're at a register and they are totaling your items.
Literally 'At how much is it?'. Often used for items with prices that can change daily, like produce at a market.
Excuse me, miss, how much does this hat cost?
I like that shirt. What price does it have?
Hello, I want a kilo of apples. How much is it?
What beautiful earrings! How much are they worth?
'¿Cuánto cuesta?' is universally understood and is the most standard phrase. '¿Cuánto vale?' is also extremely common.
'¿Cuánto cuesta?' is the most common. You will also frequently hear '¿En cuánto sale?' (How much does it come out to?), especially in markets and informal situations.
'¿Cuánto vale?' is extremely common, arguably even more so than '¿Cuánto cuesta?'. You might also hear the abbreviated '¿Qué vale?'.
'¿Cuánto sale?' is very common here, used just as much as '¿Cuánto cuesta?'.
'¿Cuánto cuesta?' is the standard. '¿Cuánto es?' and '¿Cuánto vale?' are also used, but 'cuesta' is the most frequent choice.
Using 'cómo' instead of 'cuánto' (e.g., *'¿Cómo mucho cuesta?')* — In English, we say 'how much', but 'cómo' in Spanish means 'how' in the sense of manner or method (e.g., '¿Cómo estás?'). For quantity, you must use 'cuánto'.
Using the noun 'costo' instead of the verb 'cuesta' (e.g., *'¿Cuánto costo?')* — The phrase requires the conjugated verb 'cuesta', which means 'it costs'. 'Costo' is the noun 'cost'. While '¿Cuál es el costo?' is grammatically correct, it's less common and natural in everyday speech.
Not matching number for plural items (e.g., *'¿Cuánto cuesta los zapatos?')* — If you are asking about multiple items ('los zapatos' - the shoes), the verb must be plural: '¿Cuánto cuestan?'.