The expression costar un ojo de la cara is used to say that something costs a lot of money. It is heard when talking about a purchase, a repair, a vacation, or any expense that seems too high. If a person says: Ese móvil cuesta un ojo de la cara, they are not talking about a normal price, but about an exaggerated one, hard to pay, or that seems abusive. In everyday conversation, it functions as a brief and very clear complaint, just like other expressions in the group of Modismos.

una fortunacarísimopasarsecarosalir carodineralprecio exageradocostar un riñóncoste altopico

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Quiere decir que algo cuesta muchísimo dineroSe usa para hablar de una cantidad enorme de dineroEn lenguaje coloquial, indica un dinero extra que duele pagarEs una forma coloquial de decir que algo cuesta muchísimo dineroSignifica que alguien pide o cobra más de lo razonableSignifica que algo tiene un precio muy altoDescribe un coste que parece demasiado altoQuiere decir que algo termina teniendo un gasto muy grandeIndica que algo tiene un coste elevadoSe refiere a un gasto grande en relación con lo que se compra

Vocabulary for saying that something is extremely expensive

Word	Definition
carísimo	It means that something has a very high price.
una fortuna	It means that something costs a great deal of money.
dineral	It is used to talk about an enormous amount of money.
precio exagerado	It describes a cost that seems too high.
caro	It indicates that something has a high cost.
coste alto	It refers to a large expense in relation to what is being purchased.
pasarse	It means that someone asks for or charges more than is reasonable.
pico	In colloquial language, it indicates extra money that hurts to pay.
salir caro	It means that something ends up involving a very large expense.
costar un riñón	It is a colloquial way of saying that something costs a great deal of money.

Scramble

Literally, costar un ojo de la cara imagines paying with an eye, as if the price were so high that it would require a part of the body. No one understands the phrase in a literal way. The image serves as hyperbole, that is, as intentional exaggeration. The structure is object + costar + un ojo de la cara. For example: Arreglar el coche me costó un ojo de la cara. Here the exact object does not matter, but the idea of an disproportionately high expense. The strength of the expression is how dramatic it sounds, like other strong phrases from Meter la Pata or Tomar el pelo, which also use a highly marked tone.

Rules to understand the image of the expression

Idea
The expression uses an extreme image to say that something is very expensive.
It is not interpreted in a literal way.
The phrase functions as hyperbole to exaggerate the price.

It sounds natural when someone talks about expensive purchases, plane tickets, a car breakdown, a medical bill, or a service that costs too much. It appears often after receiving an unexpected quote: La reforma de la cocina me costó un ojo de la cara; El taxi desde el aeropuerto costaba un ojo de la cara. It also fits when a person compares options and chooses the cheaper one because the other is astronomical. It is used to express surprise, complaint, or anger about a price considered unfair. To say it more directly, it is often combined with verbs of spending or price, such as salir, costar, or valer.

Everyday uses to complain about high prices

Usage	Explanation
Unexpected purchases	Used when you buy something and discover that the price seems abusive.
Trips and vacations	Used to talk about very high travel expenses that surprise.
Home repairs	Used when fixing something seems too expensive for what it is.
Professional services	Used to express that a service charges too much.
Complaints or surprise	Used to show annoyance or astonishment at a high price.

It is an informal and very everyday expression. It fits in a chat with friends, family, coworkers, or a relaxed street conversation. It has an expressive and somewhat dramatic tone, but it does not sound technical or neutral. In a report, a legal text, or a very formal meeting, it is better to say it's very expensive or it has a very high price. On the other hand, in spontaneous conversation, costar un ojo de la cara immediately conveys annoyance or surprise without needing to explain more.

Rules about tone and context of use

Idea
The expression is informal and very colloquial.
Fits well in everyday conversations.
Not suitable in technical or very formal texts.

The simplest alternative is ser carísimo or salir carísimo. They are direct and natural phrases, but less colorful. Valer un riñón is very similar in sense and level of exaggeration, although it is less common in many places. Costar un ojo de la cara tends to sound more widespread and very recognizable in much of the Spanish-speaking world. If someone says Ese restaurante vale un riñón, the idea is the same: the price is extremely high. The difference lies in the stylistic nuance. Ser carísimo describes; costar un ojo de la cara complains; valer un riñón exaggerates with an equally colloquial tone.

estar por las nubescostar un dineralvaler un riñónsalir por un picoser carísimo

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Significa tener un precio muy alto sin añadir tanta imagen expresivaQuiere decir costar muchísimo dinero en tono coloquialExpresa que el precio está muy por encima de lo normalIndica que algo termina costando más de lo esperadoSe usa para decir que algo sale por muchísimo dinero

Similar colloquial expressions in intensity

Word	Definition
ser carísimo	It means to have a very high price without adding as much expressive imagery.
valer un riñón	It means to cost a great deal of money in a colloquial tone.
costar un dineral	It is used to say that something costs a great deal of money.
salir por un pico	It indicates that something ends up costing more than expected.
estar por las nubes	It expresses that the price is far above normal.

Scramble

In some countries the abbreviated form costar un ojo is also heard, especially in informal speech. Still, the complete version costar un ojo de la cara is the most widespread and the one to learn first. The full image is clearer and more idiomatic. In a sentence like Los zapatos me costaron un ojo de la cara, the expression is understood without difficulty in most of the Spanish-speaking world. When the short version appears, the meaning does not change: it still refers to something extremely expensive.

costar un ojo de la caracostar un ojo de la caracostar un ojo

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En tono coloquial, se usa para decir que algo cuesta muchísimo y a veces aparece como forma abreviadaSe usa de manera coloquial para expresar que algo tiene un precio desmedidoEs la forma completa y muy común para decir que algo resulta excesivamente caro

Regional variants of the informal expression

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Mexico	costar un ojo	Colloquially, it is used to say that something costs a great deal and sometimes appears as an abbreviated form.	Ese celular cuesta un ojo en la tienda del centro.That cellphone costar un ojo at the store downtown.
Argentina	costar un ojo de la cara	It is the complete and very common form for saying that something turns out to be excessively expensive.	El alquiler cuesta un ojo de la cara este mes.The rent costar un ojo de la cara this month.
Spain	costar un ojo de la cara	It is used colloquially to express that something has an exorbitant price.	El reloj cuesta un ojo de la cara.The watch costar un ojo de la cara.

Scramble