At a Brazilian Market: Ask the Price per Kilo in Portuguese
Use quanto custa o quilo? to ask the price per kilogram, then say meio quilo or a quantity that fits your recipe.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
At a market or produce counter, quanto custa o quilo? asks ‘how much is it per kilo?’ Name the item to be precise: quanto custa o quilo da manga? (how much is a kilo of mangoes?). The actual price changes with the place, season, and seller, so use the phrase to ask rather than relying on a memorized amount.
Ask how much a kilo costs
Brazilian markets may sell by weight, by unit, or in a prepacked amount. If you want only a few pieces, ask whether the item is sold by the kilo or unidade (each). Polite wording with por favor keeps the exchange friendly.
Quanto custa o quilo do tomate?
How much is a kilo of tomatoes?
A banana é vendida por quilo ou por unidade?
Are bananas sold by weight or by the piece?
Pode pesar meio quilo, por favor?
Could you weigh half a kilo, please?
Specify the amount and check the total
Useful quantities include meio quilo (half a kilo), um quilo (one kilo), and duzentos gramas (two hundred grams). The verb pesar means to weigh. If the clerk asks mais alguma coisa? (anything else?), you can answer só isso, obrigado/obrigada (that’s all, thank you).
Before paying, confirm the final amount if you did not catch it: quanto ficou? (how much did it come to?). This gives you a natural chance to practise number listening and make sure you understand the transaction.
Quero trezentos gramas de queijo, por favor.
I’d like three hundred grams of cheese, please.
É só isso. Quanto ficou?
That’s all. How much did it come to?
Pode repetir o valor mais devagar?
Could you repeat the amount more slowly?
Put it into practice
Ask quanto custa o quilo? to learn a price, name the amount you want, and confirm quanto ficou before paying when you need to hear the total again.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Could you weigh half a kilo, please”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.