It cost an arm and a leg, we payed through the nose for it.

If something costs an arm and a leg, it is extremely expensive. When you spend a lot money for something, we can say that you pay through the nose for it. This expression means to pay too much money for something. 

If you drive into the city, you have to pay through the nose for parking. (Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press).

There other expressions that roughly mean “expensive”. If you want to say that something is a little bit expensive, say “this is a bit steep” or pricey. If it is too expensive just say, “It costs a fortune”. If it is very expensive and you know that you do not have the money to pay for it, just say, “it is a little outside my budget” or say, “I cannot afford it”.

“I like to go to clubs in New York, but they charge “an arm and a leg” for food and drinks!” It cost a small fortune to have some fun. In other words, it cost you a pretty penny! Some foreigners love to go to New York. They pay top dollar for a trip there in Christmas time (to pay top dollar = to pay a lot of money for something). I planned to go to New York this year to see some snow, but a trip there right now would break the bank (it is too expensive).