Sofia · Learn Spanish How to say it in Spanish How to Say How Much Is It in Spanish (Cuánto Cuesta)
How much is it in Spanish is ¿cuánto cuesta? — the phrase that unlocks every market stall, taco cart, and corner shop in the Spanish-speaking world. But natives split the question two ways: ¿cuánto cuesta? (“how much does it cost?”) for a single item, and ¿cuánto es? (“how much is it [all together]?”) when you’re paying at the register. Get both, and you’ll never be stuck pointing and guessing.
The main way to say it
¿Cuánto cuesta? — pronounced KWAN-toh KWES-tah.
The pronunciation details that matter:
- Cuánto is two syllables: KWAN-toh, stress on the first. The cu- is a hard “kw” sound, like the start of English “quantity.”
- Cuesta is KWES-tah — again a “kw” opening, stress on the first syllable.
- The accent mark on cuánto is there because it’s a question word; it doesn’t change the sound much, but it flags this as asking how much, not stating it.
The two everyday forms:
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? = how much does it cost — one item. ¿Cuánto cuesta esta playera? (“how much is this T-shirt?”)
- ¿Cuánto cuestan? = how much do they cost — plural items. ¿Cuánto cuestan los mangos? (“how much are the mangos?”)
- ¿Cuánto es? = how much is it — the total, usually at checkout. Fast, natural, exactly what you say when handing over your basket.
A softer, very common variant is ¿qué precio tiene? (“what price does it have?”), which sounds a touch more formal and polite.
Variations
| Phrase | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? | Universal |
| ¿Cuánto cuestan? | How much do they cost? (plural) | Universal |
| ¿Cuánto es? | How much is it (total)? | Everyday, at the register |
| ¿Cuánto le debo? | How much do I owe you? | Polite, warm — very Mexican |
| ¿Qué precio tiene? | What’s the price? | Slightly formal |
| ¿A cómo? / ¿A cómo el kilo? | How much a kilo? (markets) | Casual, Mexican markets |
| ¿Cuánto vale? | How much is it worth? | Common, universal |
| ¿Me da precio? | Can you give me a price? | Casual, haggling |
At a Mexican mercado, the phrase you’ll actually hear thrown at vendors is ¿a cómo? — short for ¿a cómo está? (“what’s it going for?”). ¿A cómo el kilo de jitomate? (“how much a kilo of tomatoes?”) sounds like a local, not a tourist reading from a phrasebook.
To ask the total you owe warmly, ¿cuánto le debo? (“how much do I owe you?”) is the courteous Mexican move — it treats the exchange as personal rather than transactional.
Hear it in context
Buying at a market stall (casual):
— ¿A cómo los aguacates? — A treinta el kilo, güerito. — Deme medio kilo, por favor. ¿Cuánto le debo? — Quince pesos.
How much for the avocados? — Thirty a kilo, boss. — Give me half a kilo, please. How much do I owe you? — Fifteen pesos.
Paying at a café (everyday):
— Un café y una concha, por favor. — Claro. ¿Algo más? — No, así está bien. ¿Cuánto es? — Son cuarenta y cinco pesos.
A coffee and a pastry, please. — Sure. Anything else? — No, that’s all. How much is it? — That’s forty-five pesos.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up “cuesta” and “cuestan.” One item takes cuesta, plural items take cuestan: ¿cuánto cuestan los zapatos? Getting the verb to agree marks you as careful.
- Saying “cómo mucho es.” That’s a word-for-word calque of “how much.” The word for “how much” is cuánto, not cómo mucho.
- Using “¿cuánto cuesta?” at checkout. When you’re paying for everything at once, natives say ¿cuánto es? — the total. ¿Cuánto cuesta? there sounds like you’re still asking about one item.
- Forgetting the accent in writing. In text it’s cuánto (with the accent). Without it, cuanto means “as much as” — a completely different word.
Mexico vs Spain notes
The core question is identical across the Spanish-speaking world — ¿cuánto cuesta? and ¿cuánto es? work everywhere. The differences are flavor:
- ¿A cómo? is very Latin American and especially Mexican in markets. In Spain you’re more likely to hear ¿a cuánto está?
- Currency words change: in Mexico it’s pesos, in Spain euros. The question doesn’t change, just the answer.
- ¿Cuánto vale? is used everywhere but is a touch more common in Spain for everyday shopping, where Mexicans lean on ¿cuánto cuesta? and ¿cuánto es?
Related phrases
Shopping conversations move fast — line up the phrases around the price:
- How to say excuse me in Spanish — how you get a busy vendor’s attention first.
- How to say thank you in Spanish — the gracias, muy amable that closes every purchase.
- Build the rest of your survival kit with our guide to common Spanish phrases.
FAQ
Is it “cuánto cuesta” or “cuánto es”? Both are correct but for different moments. ¿Cuánto cuesta? asks the price of a specific item; ¿cuánto es? asks the total when you’re paying. Use cuesta while browsing, es at the register.
How do I ask the price of more than one thing? Switch to the plural verb: ¿cuánto cuestan? — ¿cuánto cuestan las naranjas? (“how much are the oranges?”).
What does “¿a cómo?” mean? It’s casual Mexican market shorthand for “what’s the price / what’s it going for,” short for ¿a cómo está?. ¿A cómo el kilo? means “how much per kilo?”
How do I say “how much do I owe you?” ¿Cuánto le debo? — polite and warm, using usted. It’s the friendly Mexican way to ask for your total.
Do I need the accent on “cuánto”? In writing, yes — cuánto with the accent is the question word. Cuanto without it means “as much as.” In speech the difference is context, not sound.