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Prepositions with pricey

Pricey for or pricey at?

Pricey for is used when comparing value or category. Pricey at introduces a specific amount or rate.

Quick answer

How do you use pricey?

Use pricey for when something seems expensive relative to its type or value. Use pricey at before a specific amount.

The meal was pricey for a small café.
Tickets are pricey at $250 each.
That laptop seems pricey for its age.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
pricey for + category

Comparing with expectations

Use for to compare something with its type or quality.

The room was pricey for a budget hotel.
2
pricey at + amount

Giving a price figure

Use at before a number or rate.

The jacket is pricey at £400.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
pricey for
The service is pricey for a student budget.
Standard for comparisons or suitability.
pricey at
The sofa looks pricey at $3,000.
Standard before a specific amount.
too pricey for
The restaurant is too pricey for us.
Common extended pattern showing affordability.

Common mistakes

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

Using at without a price

At usually introduces a number or rate.

✕ The café is pricey at a small town. ✓ The café is pricey for a small town.

Using for before a number

Use at with exact prices.

✕ The watch is pricey for $900. ✓ The watch is pricey at $900.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The apartment is pricey ___ a studio.
2. The tickets are pricey ___ €120 each.
3. Choose the natural sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

Can pricey be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can simply say The hotel is pricey.

Is pricey informal?

Yes. It is more conversational than expensive.

Can I say pricey to?

No. Pricey normally uses for or at depending on meaning.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

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