代価|だいかdaika[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounprice; cost; charge; consideration (in a contract)
2. nounprice (of achieving something); cost; sacrifice
   勤勉きんべんは成功せいこうの代価だいかだ。↗

   Hard work is the price of success.

• Synonym代金だいきんNeutralThe money actually paid for a purchase; common in daily use. Unlike 「代価」, it has no figurative sense of a sacrifice made to gain something.
• Synonym値あたいWrittenWritten/formal. Mostly means value, and also a numerical value in mathematics; 「代価」 is a price or the sacrifice paid for something.
• Synonym料りょうNeutralA fee or charge, mostly used as a suffix as in 「入場料」「手数料」; focuses on charges for services.
• Synonym価格かかくNeutralPrice, common in announcements and economic contexts; focuses on the listed or market price of goods and carries no sense of sacrifice.
• Synonym値段ねだんNeutralThe most common everyday word; focuses on the amount in buying and selling, and is more colloquial than 「代価」.
• SynonymプライスNeutralLoanword for price; colloquial, seen mostly in commercial advertising and on price tags.
• Synonym費用ひようNeutralExpense; focuses on money spent to do something, as in 「旅行の費用」.
• Synonym料金りょうきんNeutralA fee or charge; focuses on money paid for using a service, as in 「電気料金」.
• Synonym勘定かんじょうNeutralThe bill or account; focuses on calculating and paying, as in 「お勘定」.
• Synonym価額かがくWrittenWritten/formal. A value assessed in monetary terms; much used in legal contexts.
• SynonymコストNeutralLoanword for cost; focuses on spending in production and business, as in 「コスト削減」.
• SynonymチャージNeutralColloquial loanword covering both a fee that is charged and topping up a balance; typical of transit cards and shop charges.
• Synonym代しろWrittenWritten word read 「しろ」; rarely used alone, mostly in compounds like 「身代金」, meaning a substitute or price. For everyday prices say 「値段」.
• Synonymお代おだいNeutralA polite way of referring to a charge, especially for meals or admission; adds a courteous tone.
• Related経費けいひWrittenWritten/formal. Expenses, focusing on business outlays; much used in accounting and reimbursement.
• Related課金かきんNeutralCharging a fee; focuses on paying to use games or online services, i.e. in-game purchases.
• Antonym無償むしょうWrittenWritten/formal. Free of charge, requiring no payment or reward; the opposite of 「代価」, which implies a price or sacrifice.

Use 「代価」 for the price of goods or, figuratively, the sacrifice made to obtain something, as in 「勝利の代価」. For everyday prices say 「値段」 or 「価格」; for the money actually paid for a purchase use 「代金」; for charges for services use 「料金」. The other words cover specific cases: fees as suffixes (「料」), expenses (「費用」「経費」「コスト」), bills (「勘定」), top-ups and charges (「チャージ」), paying for games or online services (「課金」), and 「無償」 is its antonym, meaning free of charge.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 品物しなものの値段ねだん。
2. ある事柄ことがらをするために生しょうじる犠牲ぎせいや損害そんがい。