This is the 4611th most frequent Portuguese word.
custam
"Custam" means "they cost" in English.
The word 'custam' is the third person plural present tense form of the verb 'custar', meaning 'to cost', used here to denote the price of apples.
As maçãs custam dois reais por quilo.
The apples cost two reais per kilogram.
In this sentence, 'custam' is used to express the expense of something, emphasizing the costliness of importing books.
Esses livros custam muito para importarmos.
These books cost a lot for us to import.
Here, 'custam' metaphorically refers to the effort and time as a form of cost, broadening beyond monetary values.