How do you say “Cost an arm and a leg” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Ein Vermögen kosten, which literally means “To cost a fortune”. English speakers use cost an arm and a leg to mean to be extremely expensive. Completely natural, but less colourful than the English. For the same comic exaggeration, use one of the alternatives. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
Ein Vermögen kosten
/aɪn fɛɐˈmøːɡən ˈkɔstən/
- Literal meaning
- “To cost a fortune”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
80 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German has no body-part image for high prices. The everyday equivalent is simply "ein Vermögen kosten", which matches the meaning exactly while losing the joke.
If the humour matters more than the neutrality, "ein Heidengeld" is the closest thing in tone.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Das kostet ein Heidengeld.
Literally: “That costs heathen money.”
Informal and expressive, closer to the humour of the English phrase.
Sich dumm und dämlich zahlen
Literally: “To pay yourself stupid and daft”
Very colloquial, used when you feel ripped off.
Das kostet ein Schweinegeld.
Literally: “That costs pig money.”
Slangy and emphatic; keep it among friends.
Common translation traps
Das kostet einen Arm und ein Bein.
The literal version is not idiomatic German. Some younger speakers recognise it from English, but it sounds translated rather than natural.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in German.
In context
English
The repairs cost an arm and a leg.
German
Die Reparatur hat ein Vermögen gekostet.
English
Concert tickets cost an arm and a leg these days.
German
Konzertkarten kosten heutzutage ein Heidengeld.
Related expressions
- What “Cost an arm and a leg” means in English
- Cut corners, To skimp on quality to save time or money.
Last updated 2026-09-11