costes

Costes is the plural form of the Spanish noun coste, meaning cost, price, or expense. It is used to refer to the charges associated with acquiring goods or services, or to the total amount that must be paid for a given set of resources. In everyday and technical language, coste/costes appear in phrases such as coste de producción (production cost), coste total (total cost), and costes fijos or costes variables (fixed costs and variable costs). The word is common in business, economics, accounting, and budgeting contexts.

In a legal context, costes often refers to the costs of litigation. In many Spanish-speaking jurisdictions, the court may order the losing party to pay the other party’s legal costs, commonly expressed as las costas del proceso or costos procesales. The exact rules for awarding costos can vary by country and legal tradition, influencing how expenses are allocated between parties and what items are included as recoverable costs.

Outside of economic and legal usage, costes can also appear as a surname. It is found in various regions and can be encountered in historical records, literature, or contemporary references. As with many surnames, its distribution and notable bearers can vary by country and language.

Overall, costes functions primarily as the plural of coste in Spanish, signaling monetary charges in business and legal settings, while also, in some contexts, serving as a family name.