How to Ask "How Much Is This?" in Spanish and Understand the Answer
Learn to ask the price of a single item in Latin American Spanish, understand the reply, and handle follow-up questions about payment and change.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Asking the price of something is one of the first real conversations you will have in Spanish, and it is different from asking about quantity. In this lesson you will learn the standard question for one item, how to understand the number you hear, and a few polite follow-ups that keep the exchange going. The focus is Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where usage changes.
By the end, you can…
- ask how much a single item costs in Spanish.
- understand a simple price answer and ask the seller to repeat it.
- ask about payment method and whether the seller has change.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
How much does this cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah EHS-toh
The most common way to ask the price of one item you are holding or pointing at. Cuesta is the verb form for a single thing.
¿Cuánto cuesta esta camisa?
How much does this shirt cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah EHS-tah kah-MEE-sah
Replace esto with a noun when you know the item's name. Use esta for feminine nouns like camisa, este for masculine nouns like libro.
¿Cuánto cuestan estos?
How much do these cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tahn EHS-tohs
Use cuestan, not cuesta, when you point at more than one item. This is the plural form of the same verb.
¿Me lo puede repetir, por favor?
Can you repeat it for me, please?
meh loh PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER pohr fah-BOHR
Use this when you did not catch the price. It is polite and works in shops, markets, and taxis.
¿Tiene cambio?
Do you have change?
TYEH-neh KAHM-byoh
Ask this before paying with a large bill. In some countries you may also hear ¿Tiene sencillo? or ¿Tiene suelto?
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is cuánto + cuesta or cuestan + the item. Use cuesta for one thing: ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? Use cuestan for two or more: ¿Cuánto cuestan estos? If you name the item, match the article to the noun's gender: ¿Cuánto cuesta esta camisa? and ¿Cuánto cuesta este libro? The verb agrees with the item, not with you.
When to use it
Use these questions in shops, street markets, and taxis when you want the price of something specific. If you are asking about a service or a total bill, Spanish often uses ser: ¿Cuánto es? or ¿Cuánto es en total? For a single product on a shelf, cuesta is the natural choice. When the seller answers with just a number, you can confirm with ¿Son cincuenta pesos? to make sure you heard correctly.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenas tardes, ¿cuánto cuesta esta camisa?
Good afternoon, how much does this shirt cost?BWEH-nahs TAHR-dehs KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah EHS-tah kah-MEE-sahCuesta doscientos pesos.
It costs two hundred pesos.KWEHS-tah doh-SYEHN-tohs PEH-sohs¿Me lo puede repetir, por favor?
Can you repeat it for me, please?meh loh PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER pohr fah-BOHRSí, doscientos pesos. ¿Tiene cambio?
Yes, two hundred pesos. Do you have change?see doh-SYEHN-tohs PEH-sohs TYEH-neh KAHM-byohA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American markets, prices are negotiable, but in supermarkets, pharmacies, and chain stores they are fixed. Asking ¿Cuánto cuesta? is neutral and polite everywhere. In some countries, such as Mexico and Argentina, sellers may answer with just a number, so listen for the currency word, like pesos, and repeat it back to confirm.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Cuánto es esto? for a single item on a shelf.
Try this instead: For one item, say ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? Use ¿Cuánto es? for a total bill or a service, for example at the end of a meal: ¿Cuánto es, por favor?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are holding one book and want to know its price. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Cuánto cuesta este libro?
Cuesta matches one item, and este matches the masculine noun libro. ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? is also correct if you do not name the item.
2The seller says "ciento cincuenta pesos" and you are not sure you heard it. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
¿Me lo puede repetir, por favor?
This politely asks for a repetition. You could also say ¿Cómo? or ¿Perdón? in informal settings, but the full phrase is safer with strangers.
3You want to pay with a large bill and need to know if the seller can make change. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Tiene cambio?
This asks whether the seller has change. In some regions, ¿Tiene sencillo? or ¿Tiene suelto? is more common, but all three are understood.
Ask ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? for one item and ¿Cuánto cuestan estos? for several. If you miss the price, say ¿Me lo puede repetir, por favor? and confirm the number before you pay.
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