Learn Hardcore Greek: Πληρώνω λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν, και το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό χάρη στην έκπτωση. - I pay less money than I was afraid of, and the cost is especially low thanks to the discount.

Πληρώνω λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν.
= I pay less money than I was afraid (I would).
Δουλεύω περισσότερο απ' όσο θα ήθελα.
= I work more than I would like.
Είναι πιο δύσκολο απ' όσο νόμιζα.
= It is harder than I thought.

Literally, από = “from / than” and όσο = “as much as / how much”. Together they introduce the “measure” you’re comparing with.

Why is there an apostrophe in απ'?

The apostrophe marks elision: the last vowel of από is dropped because the next word starts with a vowel.

Full form: από όσο
Spoken and common written form: απ' όσο

So απ' όσο and από όσο mean exactly the same. The version with the apostrophe reflects how people actually say it. Both are acceptable in writing, but απ' όσο is more natural in everyday text.

Is λιγότερα χρήματα “less money” or “fewer money”, and why is it neuter plural?

χρήματα is a neuter plural noun meaning “money, funds”. The adjective must agree in gender, number, and case, so you get:

λίγα χρήματα = a little money / few funds
λιγότερα χρήματα = less / fewer money (literally “fewer money-units”)

English distinguishes “less” vs “fewer”, but Greek just uses the comparative λιγότερος, -η, -ο:

λιγότερα χρήματα (neuter plural, for χρήματα)
λιγότερες μέρες (fem. plural, for μέρες)
λιγότερος χρόνος (masc. singular, for χρόνος)

So λιγότερα χρήματα covers both “less money” and “fewer euros/dollars” depending on context.

Can I drop χρήματα and just say Πληρώνω λιγότερα?

Yes. λιγότερα can stand on its own as a pronoun meaning “less (of it / of them)” when the noun is clear from context:

Πληρώνω λιγότερα (χρήματα).
Τρώω λιγότερα (γλυκά).
Έχω λιγότερα (μαθήματα σήμερα).

In your sentence, Πληρώνω λιγότερα is completely natural if you already know you’re talking about money. Including χρήματα just makes it explicit.

What tense is φοβόμουν, and why not φοβήθηκα?

φοβόμουν is the imperfect of φοβάμαι (“to be afraid”). It describes an ongoing state in the past:

φοβόμουν = I was afraid / I used to be afraid.

In this sentence, it means “I was afraid (that I would pay more)”, a background feeling that existed before you found out the real price.

φοβήθηκα is the aorist, meaning “I got scared / I became afraid (at some moment)”. That would describe a single reaction, not the general fear about the possible cost. So:

Πληρώνω λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν.
= I pay less than I was afraid I would. ✅
…απ' όσο φοβήθηκα.
would sound more like “less than the amount at which I got scared”, which is odd here.

Where is the verb “pay” in απ' όσο φοβόμουν? It feels like something is missing.

Greek often omits the repeated verb after a comparative when it’s obvious from context. The full version would be:

Πληρώνω λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν ότι θα πλήρωνα.
= I pay less money than I was afraid that I would pay.

The second πληρώνα (“would pay”) is almost always dropped, because it’s clear from the first clause. So:

…λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν
literally: “less money than I was afraid (I would).”

This kind of ellipsis is very common and completely natural in Greek.

What’s the difference between ειδικά and ιδιαίτερα for “especially”?

Both can mean “especially / particularly”, and in your sentence either is fine:

Το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό…
Το κόστος είναι ιδιαίτερα χαμηλό…

Nuances:

ειδικά is extremely common and can also mean “specially, specifically”:
- ειδικά για σένα = especially/specifically for you
- ειδικά εκπαιδευμένος = specially trained
ιδιαίτερα often feels a bit more neutral/formal in some contexts, but in everyday speech many speakers use them almost interchangeably.

Here, they both sound natural.

Why is it το κόστος είναι χαμηλό and not ο κόστος είναι χαμηλός?

Because κόστος is a neuter noun. Its nominative singular form is:

το κόστος (neuter)
not ο κόστος (masculine)

Adjectives must agree:

το κόστος είναι χαμηλό / υψηλό (neuter singular)
ο μισθός είναι χαμηλός / υψηλός (masc. singular)
η τιμή είναι χαμηλή / υψηλή (fem. singular)

So το κόστος είναι χαμηλό is the correct agreement.

How does χάρη στην έκπτωση work grammatically?

The expression is χάρη σε + accusative, meaning “thanks to”:

χάρη σε σένα = thanks to you
χάρη στη δουλειά σου = thanks to your work
χάρη στην έκπτωση = thanks to the discount

Here:

σε + την έκπτωση → στην έκπτωση (standard contraction)

So χάρη στην έκπτωση is an adverbial phrase of cause:

…και το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό χάρη στην έκπτωση.
= …and the cost is especially low thanks to the discount.

Is there any difference between χάρη σε, λόγω, and εξαιτίας?

Yes, mainly in tone:

χάρη σε (+ accusative)
- Meaning: “thanks to”
- Usually positive or giving credit.
- Χάρη στην έκπτωση, εξοικονόμησα χρήματα.
  = Thanks to the discount, I saved money.
λόγω (+ genitive, or with article του/της etc.)
- Meaning: “due to / because of”
- More neutral, just stating cause.
- Λόγω της έκπτωσης, είναι φθηνότερο.
εξαιτίας (+ genitive)
- Also “because of”, but often with a negative or blaming nuance.
- Εξαιτίας της έκπτωσης, μειώθηκαν τα κέρδη.
  = Because of the discount, profits went down.

In everyday speech, people sometimes mix them loosely, but those are the typical shades of meaning.

Why is there a comma before και in this sentence? Is it necessary?

You have two independent clauses, each with its own subject and verb:

Πληρώνω λιγότερα χρήματα απ' όσο φοβόμουν
το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό χάρη στην έκπτωση

When such clauses are joined by και, Greek normally allows (and many style guides prefer) a comma:

…, και το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό…

In informal writing, some people might omit the comma, but:

With one subject and two verbs: usually no comma
- Πληρώνω και φεύγω.
With two full clauses: comma is common and recommended
- Πληρώνω…, και το κόστος είναι…

So it’s not absolutely mandatory, but it is stylistically correct and helpful.

Is φοβόμουν the only correct form, or can I also say φοβόμουνα?

Both exist:

φοβόμουν → standard, neutral, common in writing.
φοβόμουνα → very common in spoken Greek, feels more colloquial.

In your sentence, either works:

…απ' όσο φοβόμουν… (slightly more “standard”)
…απ' όσο φοβόμουνα… (slightly more informal)

They mean the same thing here.

Can I change the word order, for example move ειδικά or start with Χάρη στην έκπτωση?

Yes, Greek word order is flexible. Some natural alternatives:

Χάρη στην έκπτωση, το κόστος είναι ειδικά χαμηλό.
Το κόστος είναι ιδιαίτερα/ειδικά χαμηλό χάρη στην έκπτωση.
Το κόστος είναι χαμηλό, ειδικά χάρη στην έκπτωση.

Subtle nuance:

ειδικά χαμηλό (before the adjective) strongly emphasizes “especially low”.
If you move ειδικά later (χαμηλό, ειδικά χάρη στην έκπτωση), the “especially” can feel like it comments on the whole situation, not just how low it is.

All of these are grammatical; your original version is very natural.