Spanish Money Vocabulary: Money Words in Spanish

Spanish Money Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

bank el banco
bill el billete
change el cambio
cost el costo
money el dinero
market el mercado
purse el monedero
price el precio
wallet la cartera
coin la moneda

Elementary (A2)

savings el ahorro
cashier el cajero/la cajera
check el cheque
cash el efectivo
payment el pago
receipt el recibo
salary el salario
wage el sueldo
piggy bank la alcancía
account la cuenta
tip la propina

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

credit el crédito
deposit el depósito
fund el fondo
expense el gasto
tax el impuesto
income el ingreso
interest el interés
loan el préstamo
withdrawal el retiro
balance el saldo
treasure el tesoro
safe la caja fuerte
checkbook la chequera
crisis la crisis
debt la deuda
donation la donación
economy la economía
invoice la factura
profit la ganancia
fine la multa
poverty la pobreza
loss la pérdida
fee la tarifa
transaction la transacción
transfer la transferencia
funds los fondos
shareholder el accionista/la accionista
bond el bono
capital el capital
debit el débito
fraud el fraude
exchange el intercambio
investor el inversionista/la inversionista
installment el pago a plazos
down payment el pago inicial
budget el presupuesto
overdraft el sobregiro
subsidy el subsidio
exchange rate el tipo de cambio
stock la acción
allowance la asignación
vault la bóveda
charity la caridad
fundraiser la colecta
commission la comisión
compensation la compensación
depression (economic) la depresión
fortune la fortuna
collateral la garantía
inheritance la herencia
mortgage la hipoteca
inflation la inflación
investment la inversión
stake la participación
pension la pensión
recession la recesión
wealth la riqueza
grant la subvención
assets los activos
liabilities los pasivos
dividend el dividendo
yield el rendimiento
ransom el rescate
bailout el rescate financiero
bribe el soborno
audit la auditoría
bankruptcy la bancarrota
portfolio la cartera de inversiones
deflation la deflación
speculation la especulación
liquidity la liquidez
embezzlement la malversación
finance las finanzas

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Essential sentences using basic verbs and adjectives related to money and shopping.

María compra fruta en el mercado. María buys fruit at the market.
Juan paga la cuenta con dinero en efectivo. Juan pays the bill with cash.
El niño guarda sus monedas en la alcancía. The boy saves his coins in the piggy bank.
Ella necesita el recibo para el cambio. She needs the receipt for the change.
El cajero cobra el costo total del producto. The cashier charges the total cost of the product.
El precio de este libro es muy alto. The price of this book is very high.
Comprar ropa nueva en esta tienda es caro. Buying new clothes at this store is expensive.
El pan en este mercado es bastante barato. The bread at this market is quite cheap.
El sueldo de un principiante suele ser bajo. A beginner's salary is usually low.
Tengo un billete nuevo en mi cartera. I have a new bill in my wallet.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex sentences covering banking, finance, and investment terms.

Decidieron invertir sus ahorros en la bolsa de valores. They decided to invest their savings in the stock market.
El cliente debe solicitar un préstamo al banco. The client must apply for a loan at the bank.
La empresa intenta reducir sus gastos operativos. The company is trying to reduce its operating expenses.
Puedes transferir los fondos a otra cuenta bancaria. You can transfer the funds to another bank account.
El inversionista logró acumular una gran riqueza. The investor managed to accumulate great wealth.
El país enfrentó un gran problema financiero. The country faced a major financial problem.
Esa inversión resultó ser muy rentable. That investment turned out to be very profitable.
Debes pagar la tarifa mensual del servicio. You must pay the monthly fee for the service.
La inflación provocó una subida constante de precios. Inflation caused a constant rise in prices.
Guardar los activos en un lugar seguro es fundamental. Keeping assets in a safe place is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about financial vocabulary and payment expressions in Spanish.

There are several common phrasing choices depending on the context and location when asking for prices:

¿Cuánto cuesta? or ¿Cuánto cuestan? (How much does it cost / do they cost?)
¿Cuánto es? (How much is it total?)
¿Qué precio tiene? (What price does it have?)
¿A cuánto está? (How much is it going for? - often used at produce markets)

While both words translate to money earned from work, they carry subtle distinctions:

El sueldo: Refers to a fixed, regular wage (usually monthly or biweekly) agreed upon in a contract.
El salario: A broader term that often refers to pay based on hourly or daily work.
In everyday conversation, native speakers often use them interchangeably for office or general jobs.

When paying for goods or services, use these common verb phrases:

Pagar en efectivo: To pay in cash (e.g., Prefiero pagar en efectivo).
Pagar con tarjeta (de crédito / de débito): To pay with a credit or debit card.
Hacer una transferencia: To make a bank transfer.
Dejar propina: To leave a tip at a restaurant or café.

Describing prices and economic conditions requires specific adjectives:

Caro / Barato: Expensive / Cheap.
Gratis / Gratuito: Free of charge.
Rentable: Profitable or yield-bearing.
Asequible / Económico: Affordable / Economical.

Money is one of the most prolific categories for regional slang across the Spanish-speaking world:

Pasta: Extremely popular in Spain for cash or money.
Lana: Common slang for money in Mexico.
Plata: Used across Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Central America instead of dinero.
Chavos: Frequently used in Puerto Rico to mean cash or coins.

Spanish Money Vocabulary