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Preposition after adjective

Expensive for or expensive in?

Expensive for is the standard pattern when comparing price with a person, purpose, or category. Expensive in usually refers to a place, market, or area where prices are high.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with expensive?

Use expensive for when something costs too much for a person, budget, or purpose. Use expensive in when talking about a place or area where prices are high.

That restaurant is too expensive for students.
Housing is very expensive in central London.
This software is expensive for a small business.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
expensive for + person/group

Showing that something costs too much for someone

Use expensive for to compare a price with what a person or group can reasonably pay.

The tickets were too expensive for my family.
That laptop is expensive for most students.
2
expensive for + purpose/use

Showing that something costs too much for a purpose

Use expensive for when something is not economical or suitable because of its price.

The material is too expensive for everyday use.
It is expensive for a short business trip.
3
expensive in + place/market

Describing high prices in a location or sector

Use expensive in to describe a place, city, country, or market where costs are high.

Eating out is expensive in Tokyo.
Fuel has become more expensive in rural areas.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
expensive for
The course is expensive for new graduates.
The price is high relative to what they can afford.
expensive in
Hotels are expensive in the city centre.
Prices are high in that location.
expensive to
It is expensive to maintain an old car.
Describes the cost of an activity.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using expensive in for a person

Use expensive for when comparing cost with a person or group.

✕ The tickets are expensive in students. ✓ The tickets are expensive for students.

Confusing place and comparison meanings

Expensive in refers to a location, not affordability for people.

✕ This phone is expensive in me. ✓ This phone is expensive for me.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The apartment is too expensive ___ young workers.
2. Public transport is expensive ___ some large cities.
3. The equipment is expensive ___ a small project.

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Frequently asked questions

Is expensive for the most common pattern?

Yes. Expensive for is the standard pattern when discussing affordability for people or purposes.

Can expensive in be correct?

Yes. Expensive in is natural when talking about a place, area, or market where prices are high.

Can I say expensive to?

Yes. Expensive to is used before an activity, such as expensive to repair or expensive to run.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "economical with" or "economical in"? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"?

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