'How Much Is It?' in Spanish: A Guide to Travel and Shopping (2024)

Do you know how to ask “how much is it?” in Spanish?

If you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, prices and budgets are no doubt a central part of your experience. By learning to ask and answer this question, you’ll be able to organize your money properly, purchase what you’re looking for, and stay on budget (if that’s even possible!).

In this blog post, we’ll explore different ways to ask “how much is it?” in Spanish along with example sentences and conversations.

Let’s start!

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Lesson on “How Much is it?” in Spanish

There are plenty of ways to ask “how much is it?” in Spanish. Here is a list of the most common ones that you’ll hear around Latin American countries:

• ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much is it?)
• ¿Cuánto vale? (How much does it cost?)
• ¿Cuánto es? (How much is it?)
• ¿Cuál es el precio? (What is the price?)
• ¿Cuánto me cobra? (How much do you charge me?)
• ¿Cuánto va a costar? (How much will it cost?)
• ¿A cuánto está? (How much is it?)
• ¿Cuánto le debo? (How much do I owe you?)
• ¿A cuánto? (How much?)
• ¿Qué cuesta? (What does it cost?)
• ¿Qué vale? (What is it worth?)
• ¿Qué precio tiene? (What is the price of?)

There are more than 10 ways to ask for the price of something! Similarly, there are plenty of variations to the base of the question.

Example Sentences

¿Cuánto cuesta esa blusa?
How much is that blouse?

¿Cuánto vale el reloj?
How much is that watch?

¿Cuánto es de la tintorería?
How much is it from the dry cleaning?

¿Cuál es el precio de la libra de café?
What is the price of a pound of coffee?

¿Cuánto me cobra por esta bolsa?
How much do you charge me for this bag?

¿Cuánto va a costar el boleto la próxima semana?
How much is the ticket going to cost next week?

¿A cuánto está la bolsa de arroz?
How much is the bag of rice?

¿Cuánto le debo por la comida?
How much do I owe you for the meal?

¿A cuánto la libra de azúcar?
How much is the pound of sugar?

¿Qué cuesta el libro?
What does the book cost?

¿Qué valen los pantalones?
What are the pants worth? / How much are the pants?

¿Qué precio tiene la pintura?
What is the price of the painting?

Why Do Cuánto and Qué Have an Accent?

The words question words cuánto and qué have an accent only when they’re being used in an interrogative or exclamatory function. While the accent mark doesn’t affect their pronunciation, it’s what sets them apart from relative pronouns.

Interrogative Function

The accent mark is added to cuánto and qué as a way to ask questions or express uncertainty.

¿Cuánto dinero necesitas?
How much money do you need?

No sé cuánto tiempo vaya a tardar.
I don’t know how much time it will take.

Exclamatory Function – Wow!

The accent mark shows excitement or elevated emotions in relation to the meaning of the expression.

¡Mira cuánto te ha costado comprar todo esto!
Look how much it has cost you to buy all this!

Qué alegría verte cumplir tus metas.
What a joy to see you meet your goals.

How Many vs How Much in Spanish

The words “much” and “many” are used in a different way in Spanish.

For instance, in English, “much” describes mass or uncountable nouns (like juice, water, and patience), while “many” describes countable nouns (like shoes, pillows, and books).

If you want a detailed lesson and some practice exercises on discerning between “how much” and “how many” in Spanish, check our blog post How Much vs How Many: What’s the Amount in Spanish?

Asking “How Much Is It?” in Spanish When Traveling

Spanish-speaking countries receive millions of tourists every year, and if you’re planning on becoming one of them, it’s essential to know how to ask and answer “how much is it?” in Spanish.

Here is a list of phrases you can use when you want to know the prices of goods or services while traveling. Try them out and you’ll expand your vocabulary for your next trip to Latin America in no time!

At the Airport

¿A cuánto están los pasajes de avión?
How much are the plane tickets?

¿Cuánto cuesta el traslado a primera clase?
How much does the transfer to first class cost?

¿Cuánto cuesta cada maleta adicional?
How much does each additional suitcase cost?

¿Cuánto vale cada libra de sobrepeso?
How much does each overweight pound cost?

¿Cuál es el precio del wi-fi en el avión?
What ‘s the price of wi-fi on the plane?)

¿Cuánto cuesta el taxi?
How much is the taxi?

With Your Travel Buddy

¿Cuánto nos van a costar todas las comidas?
How much will all the meals cost?

¿Cuál es el precio más barato en hoteles?
What is the cheapest price in hotels?

¿Cuánto cuesta el cuarto del hotel?
How much does the hotel room cost?

¿A cuánto está el tipo de cambio (de la moneda)?
How much is the currency exchange rate?

¿Cuánto cuesta la excursión a la que quieres ir?
How much is the tour you want to go to?

¿Cuánto te debo del transporte que pagaste?
How much do I owe you for the transportation you paid?

¿Sabes cuánto nos cobrarían por tomarnos fotos e imprimirlas?
Do you know how much they would charge us to take us pictures and print them?

¿A cuánto está la entrada al museo?
How much is the ticket to the museum?

Shopping

Are you like me and want to buy pretty much everything you see while on a trip?

This list is for you.

Shopping is a huge part of traveling, but of course you need to make sure that prices fit your budget and these questions do just that.

Here, you’ll find a list of words and phrases related to the act of purchasing items, and an example conversation to see what the answers would be like.

Words Related to Cost

• el dinero (money)
• el billete (bill)
• la tarjeta de crédito (credit card)
• la tarjeta de débito (debit card)
• el efectivo (cash)
• el cheque (check)
• los dólares (dollars)
• los euros (euros)
• el precio (price)
• la oferta (sale)
• el descuento (discount)
• caro (expensive)
• barato (cheap)

“How Much Is It?” in Spanish at the Grocery Store

¿Cuánto cuesta el pan?
How much is the bread?) *el is masculine

¿Cuánto vale la red de cebollas?
How much is the net of onions? *red is feminine

¿A cuánto está la libra de carne?
How much is the pound of meat?

¿Cuánto es por todo?
How much is it for everything?

¿Cuál es el precio de la leche con el descuento aplicado?
What is the price of milk with the discount applied?

¿Qué precio tienen los cereales en promoción?
What is the price of the promotional cereals?

¿A cuánto está cada limón?
How much is each lemon?

Phrases at a Mall, Market, or Store

¿Cuánto cuesta ese recuerdo?
How much is that souvenir?

¿Cuánto vale este plato?
How much is this plate?

¿Cuánto es por todo lo que llevo?
How much is it for everything I’m carrying?

¿Qué precio tiene este llavero?
What is the price of this keychain?

¿A cuánto está la caja de churros?
How much is the box of churros?

¿Cuánto cuestan las blusas con el descuento incluido?
How much are the blouses with the discount included?

If you’re planning on doing clothes shopping, go check this guide to Spanish fashion and see all the words and phrases you should know when buying new outfits!

“How Much Is It?” in Spanish: Example Conversations

Now, imagine you want to purchase some souvenirs to give them to your family and friends. Here, you could ask “how much is it?” in Spanish in several ways.

The conversation would go like this:

You: Buenos días, ¿tienen llaveros con nombres escritos encima?
Good morning, do you have keychains with names written on them?

Seller: Buenos días, claro que sí. Sígueme, te los muestro.
Good morning, of course we do. Follow me, I’ll show you.

You: Gracias. Estos me encantan, ¿cuánto cuestan?
Thank you. I love these, how much are they?

Seller: Cada uno cuesta $1, pero puedo hacerte un descuento si te llevas más de cinco.
Each one costs $1, but I can give you a discount if you take more than five.

You: ¿Cuánto me cobrarías si me llevo quince?
How much would you charge me if I take fifteen?

Seller: Por ser tantos, puedo dejarte los más sencillos a $0.50 y los otros a $0.75.
Because of the number, I can leave you the simplest ones at $ 0.50 and the others at $ 0.75.

You: Excelente, los quiero.
Excellent, I want them.

Seller: Perfecto, elige los que más te gusten y te espero en la caja.
Perfect, choose the ones you like the most and I’ll wait for you at the check-out counter.

You: Listo, ¿cuánto te debo?
Done, how much do I owe you?

Seller: El total sería de $11.00, ya con el descuento incluido. ¿Te gustaría llevarte alguna camiseta adicional?
The total would be $ 11.00, already with the discount included. Would you like to take an additional shirt?

You: ¿A cuánto están las camisetas?
How much are the shirts?

Seller: Cada una cuesta $5.50.
Each one costs $5.50.

You: Sí quiero llevarme una, me gusta la gris.
I do want to take one, I like the gray one.

Seller: Perfecto, tu total es de $16.50. ¿Pagas con tarjeta?
Perfect, your total is $ 16.50. Do you pay by card?

You: Sí, aquí está.
Yes, here it is.

Seller: Muchas gracias, aquí tienes tu factura.
Thank you very much, here’s your receipt.

You: ¡Gracias! Que tengas un lindo día.
Thank you! Have a nice day.

How Much Spanish Did You Learn Today?

When we travel, all aspects of money, prices, and budgets form an important part of the process. The question “how much is it?” in Spanish always pops up while in Spanish-speaking countries.

This language is so much fun to learn, especially during your trips to the countries where people speak it. However, there’s also time to discover more about it in order to become a pro, while you’re in the comfort of your home!

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