costs Your
costs are the total amount of money you spend over a period of time in order
to make or produce something, or continue an activity: ‘Our costs have doubled over
the last five years as a result of the increase in oil prices.’
charge A
charge is the amount of money that you must pay for a service or to be allowed to
use something: ‘The waiter explained that the bill included a 10% service charge.’
‘There is also a small charge for delivery and installation.’
If you do not have to pay for something, it is provided
free of charge: ‘The company
has offered to install the software free of charge.’
fee A
fee is 1 a charge that you must pay to be allowed to do something: ‘Most art
galleries charge an entrance fee.’ ‘Every new student has to pay a registration fee.’ 2
(usually
fees) a charge that you must pay for professional services such as those
provided by doctors, lawyers, consultants, tutors,
schools etc: ‘My parents couldn’t afford the school fees.’ ‘Last year alone, the
company paid over $12 million in legal fees.’
rate A
rate is the amount of money that you have to pay for a service or for hiring
something, especially one that is calculated on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis:
‘His hourly rate is £60.’ ‘For a five-star hotel, the rates are very reasonable.’
rental The
rental is the amount of money that you have to pay to a hire company to use
something for a fixed period of time: ‘The car rental is $45 a day and you need a
clean driving licence.’ ‘The rental on the TV doesn’t include repairs.’
See also CHEAP 1
