The simple present tense of costar is used to talk about how much something costs or how difficult something is, for example: Este libro me cuesta $20. (This book costs me $20.)

Costar is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes from o to ue in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Costar (to cost) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Costar generally means “to cost” or “to be priced at”, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To cost (money): For example, Este libro me cuesta veinte dólares. (This book costs me twenty dollars.)

To be difficult or require effort: For example, Me cuesta mucho levantarme temprano. (It’s very difficult for me to get up early.)

To be hard to believe: For example, Me cuesta creer que ya es viernes. (It’s hard for me to believe it’s already Friday.)

Colloquial usage (rude): For example, Me cuesta aguantarte cuando estás de mal humor. (It’s hard for me to put up with you when you’re in a bad mood.)

Examples

Examples of Costar in the Present Tense

Viajar a Europa cuesta mucho dinero. (Traveling to Europe costs a lot of money.)

¿Cuánto cuesta esta camisa? (How much does this shirt cost?)

El concierto cuesta $50 por entrada. (The concert costs $50 per ticket.)

Aprender un nuevo idioma cuesta mucho esfuerzo. (Learning a new language takes a lot of effort.)

La gasolina cuesta cada vez más. (Gas costs more and more.)

Ese restaurante cuesta un ojo de la cara. (That restaurant costs an arm and a leg.)

Tener hijos cuesta mucho tiempo y dinero. (Having kids costs a lot of time and money.)

La universidad cuesta una fortuna. (College costs a fortune.)

Ese coche deportivo cuesta más de lo que gano en un año. (That sports car costs more than I make in a year.)

Mantener una casa cuesta mucho trabajo. (Maintaining a house costs a lot of work.)

Ese tratamiento médico cuesta miles de dólares. (That medical treatment costs thousands of dollars.)

Vivir en la ciudad cuesta más que en el campo. (Living in the city costs more than in the countryside.)

Ese videojuego cuesta un huevo. (That video game costs a fortune.)

Hacer ejercicio cuesta mucho esfuerzo al principio. (Exercising takes a lot of effort at first.)

Ese vestido de diseñador cuesta un ojo de la cara. (That designer dress costs an arm and a leg.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Costar (to cost) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.