From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcost/pay/charge the earthcost/pay/charge the earthinformalEXPENSIVE to cost etc a very large amount of money It must have cost the earth! → earth
Examples from the Corpus
cost/pay/charge the earth• But ... but it must cost the earth.• In Coventry Sir William Lyons produced wonderful engineering and style-but he didn't believe his cars should cost the earth.• This is a flexible, well-designed machine which produces quality prints and doesn't cost the earth to print them.• A well planned, well made kitchen that doesn't cost the earth.• It is possible to pay the earth for beauty products.• He would miss seeing Harry and, besides, a weekend at some hotel would cost the earth.• It would cost the earth, but it had to be safer than Nigel's Aston Martin. 