ProverbWisdom
German origin
German originUmsonst ist der Tod, und der kostet das Leben
Meaning: Nothing is truly free; everything has a price.
Literally: Only death is free, and it costs you your life
Example: “Kostenlose App? Umsonst ist der Tod, und der kostet das Leben.” — A free app? There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, and Japanese
English: There's no such thing as a free lunch
Spanish: Nadie da duros a cuatro pesetas (literally: Nobody gives duros for four pesetas)
Japanese: ただより高いものはない (Tada yori takai mono wa nai) (literally: Nothing is more expensive than free)
Origin: A grim joke: the only free thing is death, and that costs you your life.
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