Spanish examples with prices for new learners

Introduction

Learning Spanish as a beginner is more motivating when you can read real examples with prices. This article gives practical vocabulary, simple sentences, and everyday scenarios where prices appear: menus, stores, markets, transportation, and services. All Spanish examples follow standard Latin American usage, and explanations are in English so you can use these phrases right away.

Why learn price expressions in Spanish?

Prices come up in nearly every everyday interaction: buying food, taking a taxi, or asking about hotel rates. Knowing how to read, say, and understand prices helps you feel confident and independent. Price vocabulary is high-frequency: even a little knowledge lets you complete transactions and avoid mistakes.

Basic vocabulary: numbers and currency

Start with numbers 0–100 and common currency words. Numbers are the backbone of price phrases.

Numbers: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, diez, veinte, treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa, cien

Hundreds and thousands: ciento, doscientos, quinientos, mil

Decimals and cents: coma is used in some regions in speech, but prices often show a decimal point or comma in writing. Use centavos or centavos depending on the currency system.

Common currency words: peso, dólar, sol, peso mexicano (use the relevant name for your target country). When you say prices, include the currency if it’s unclear: 20 pesos, 5 dólares.

How to say prices in Spanish

Basic structure: quantity + currency, or the price phrase cuesta + amount. Use cuesta for singular items and cuestan for plural items.

Examples:

La manzana cuesta 10 pesos.

Los zapatos cuestan 1,200 pesos.

Quiero pagar 50 dólares.

To ask how much: ¿Cuánto cuesta? or ¿Cuánto cuestan?

Common short phrases to use in shops and markets

These short phrases will get you through most shopping situations.

¿Cuánto cuesta esto?

¿Tiene en otro tamaño?

¿Acepta tarjeta?

¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito o débito?

¿Me da un descuento?

Es muy caro.

¿Tiene cambio de 100?

Menus and restaurants: sample price examples

Menus are a great place to practice. Prices are usually next to items and can be read simply by combining item name with price. Below are realistic sample menu lines a beginner might encounter.

Plato del día — 85 pesos

Café americano — 35 pesos

Ensalada mixta — 70 pesos

Sándwich de pollo — 55 pesos

Postre: flan — 30 pesos

When ordering, you can say:

Quisiera un café americano, por favor. ¿Cuánto es?

La cuenta, por favor. (When you want the bill)

To split the bill: ¿Podemos dividir la cuenta?

Grocery shopping: prices per unit and weight

At markets you often see prices per kilo, per piece, or per pack. Important words:

por kilo

por pieza

por paquete

Examples:

Tomates — 40 pesos el kilo

Bananas — 8 pesos la pieza

Arroz — 60 pesos por paquete

To ask for weight: ¿Cuánto pesa? or ¿Me da medio kilo de manzanas, por favor?

When paying, confirm the price: ¿Cuánto es en total? and then pay the amount shown.

Transportation and tickets

Transport involves fares, tickets, and schedules. Useful phrases and examples:

Pasaje de autobús — 12 pesos

Taxi al centro — 120 pesos

Billete de metro — 10 pesos

Boletos para el cine — 80 pesos por persona

To ask the price of a ticket: ¿Cuánto cuesta el pasaje a X? or ¿Cuál es el precio del boleto?

For taxis: ¿Cuánto me cobra hasta el aeropuerto? or ¿Tiene tarifa fija?

Services: haircuts, laundry, repairs

Services use verbs like cobrar (to charge) and nouns like tarifa. Examples you’ll see or hear:

Corte de cabello — 150 pesos

Lavandería por kilo — 30 pesos el kilo

Reparación de teléfono — desde 300 pesos

To ask for an estimate: ¿Cuánto me va a costar la reparación? or ¿Tiene un presupuesto?

When a service lists starting prices, the phrase desde indicates beginning at a price: desde 300 pesos.

Practical dialogues with prices

Short dialogues help you practice listening and responding. Read and repeat the lines aloud.

En la tienda:

Cliente: ¿Cuánto cuesta esta camiseta?

Vendedor: Cuesta 250 pesos.

Cliente: ¿Aceptan tarjeta?

Vendedor: Sí, aceptamos tarjeta y efectivo.

En el mercado:

Cliente: Quisiera medio kilo de tomates, por favor.

Vendedor: Son 20 pesos, por favor.

Cliente: Aquí tiene. Gracias.

Reading price tags and signs

Price tags often omit the currency symbol. Context matters. If you see 150 on a tag at a local market in Mexico, assume pesos unless otherwise labeled. Signs may use abbreviations like kg for kilo or symbols like $ for dollars or local currencies.

Example signs:

2×1 — This means two for the price of one; a common promotion

Oferta — Sale or special offer

Liquidación — Clearance

Oferta especial: jugo natural 3×50 pesos

Money-related common mistakes beginners make

Beginners often mix up singular/plural verbs with prices, misunderstand decimals, or forget to include the currency. Common mistakes to avoid:

Mistake: La manzana cuestan 10 pesos. Correct: La manzana cuesta 10 pesos.

Mistake: ¿Cuánto cuesta los zapatos? Correct: ¿Cuánto cuestan los zapatos?

Mistake: Reading 1,200 as twelve hundred when a comma might be a decimal in other countries. Check local formatting before assuming.

Useful expressions for bargaining and discounts

Bargaining is common in some markets. Use polite language and ask for a small discount if reasonable. Useful phrases:

¿Me puede hacer un descuento?

¿Puede bajar el precio?

¿Cuál es el mejor precio que me ofrece?

When accepting: Está bien, lo llevo.

When refusing: No, gracias. Es muy caro para mí.

Practice tips: real-world tasks for beginners

Practice with real tasks that involve prices. Try these exercises:

1. Read a menu and write down three items with prices, then say aloud Cuánto cuesta and the prices.

2. Go to a market or online grocery site in Spanish and identify prices per kilo or per piece. Ask a seller, ¿Cuánto cuesta por kilo?

3. Role-play a taxi ride. One person asks: ¿Cuánto me cobra hasta la estación? The driver answers with an approximate fare.

4. Create a simple shopping list and total the bill in Spanish: Tengo que pagar 150 pesos por alimentos y 120 pesos por transporte. Total 270 pesos.

Quick reference: must-know phrases

Cuánto cuesta? — How much does it cost?

Cuánto cuestan? — How much do they cost?

Cuesta … — It costs …

Cuestan … — They cost …

¿Acepta tarjeta? — Do you accept card?

La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please

Por kilo / por pieza / por paquete — per kilo / per piece / per package

Common beginner questions answered

How do I say cents? Use centavos or céntimos depending on the currency. Example: 3.50 pesos = tres pesos con cincuenta centavos.

How to pronounce numbers? Focus on the tens and hundreds: 23 is veintitrés, 100 is cien, 101 is ciento uno.

How to handle big numbers? Use mil for thousand, millón for million: 1,200 = mil doscientos; 2,000,000 = dos millones.

Mini practice: translate and say

Translate these simple English lines into Spanish, then compare to the answers below.

1. The bus fare is 15 pesos.

2. I want two tickets, please. How much are they?

3. Half a kilo of rice, please.

Answers:

1. El pasaje de autobús es 15 pesos. or El pasaje cuesta 15 pesos.

2. Quiero dos boletos, por favor. ¿Cuánto cuestan?

3. Medio kilo de arroz, por favor.

Resources to reinforce learning

Use bilingual menus, market receipts, supermarket websites in Spanish, and language apps that include shopping scenarios. Listening to short dialogues and repeating key phrases improves recall. Consistent short sessions with real examples beat marathon study sessions.

Conclusion

Understanding price vocabulary and simple price phrases opens many practical doors for beginners. Practice with menus, markets, taxis, and service price lists to gain confidence. Keep a small notebook of favorite phrases like ¿Cuánto cuesta?, La cuenta, por favor, and medio kilo de manzanas. These tools make everyday Spanish interactions manageable and rewarding.