Learn Hardcore Japanese: hobo onazi ryoukin de mo, zimoto no mise no hou ga ii. - Even if the price is almost the same, the local shop is better.

This is different from sentence-initial でも、 used as a conjunction meaning “but.” Here it’s not starting a new sentence; it’s ending a concessive phrase before the comma.

How is でも formed, and when do I use ても vs でも?

With nouns and na-adjectives: use でも (which is で + も).
- 学生でも (even if [someone] is a student)
- 静かでも (even if it’s quiet)
With i-adjectives and verbs: use ても.
- 高くても (even if it’s expensive)
- 行っても (even if [I] go)

In your sentence, 料金 is a noun, so でも is correct.

Why is it written as 料金でも with a space in my text? Should it be 料金でも?

Standard Japanese writing doesn’t use spaces between words, so it’s normally 料金でも (no space). Your source likely inserted spaces for teaching clarity. Treat でも as a single unit here.

How does のほうが work?

のほうが marks the option that is “more” something in a comparison. The base pattern is:

Aより Bのほうが C = “B is C-er than A.”

In the sentence, the “Aより” part is omitted because it’s understood from context. If you make it explicit:

チェーン店より、地元の店のほうがいい。 “Compared to chain stores, the local shop is better.”

What does がいい mean here? Is it “good” or “prefer”?

With choices/comparisons, Xがいい means “X is better / I prefer X.” So:

地元の店のほうがいい。 = “The local shop is better (I’d rather choose it).” Using のほう strengthens the comparative nuance.

Why not use は instead of が (i.e., 地元の店のほうはいい)?

Xがいい states which option is judged “better” in a comparison.
Xはいい tends to set X as a topic and say “X is good (in general),” not necessarily better than something else. So 地元の店のほうがいい is the natural comparative form here.

Where is the “than what?” part? What is this being compared to?

Japanese often omits the compared item when it’s clear from context. You can include it with より:

（ほかの店）より、地元の店のほうがいい。
チェーン店より、地元の店のほうがいい。

Why can 同じ directly modify 料金? I thought na-adjectives need な.

同じ is a special word that directly modifies nouns without な:

同じ料金, 同じ色, 同じ店 You don’t say 同じな料金 in standard usage. You can also use 同じだ predicatively (e.g., 料金は同じだ).

What’s the difference between 料金 and 値段?

料金: a fee/charge for services, usage, admission, fares, plans.
- 入場料金 (admission fee), 電車の料金 (train fare)
値段: the price (tag) of a product/merchandise.
- この靴の値段 (the price of these shoes) In many casual contexts people still say 値段, but 料金 fits well when talking about service fees.

What nuance does ほぼ add? Could I use ほとんど instead?

ほぼ = “almost/nearly” in a neutral, approximate sense. ほぼ同じ is very common.
ほとんど can also mean “almost,” but it often pairs with negatives (e.g., ほとんどない). ほとんど同じ is possible and a bit stronger (virtually identical), but ほぼ同じ is the default natural choice here.

You can drop ほぼ to say simply “even if it’s the same price”: 同じ料金でも… (slightly stronger).

Can I rearrange the topic, like 料金はほぼ同じでも…?

Yes. 料金はほぼ同じでも、地元の店のほうがいい。 is natural and puts extra emphasis on the price as the topic before stating the preference.

What is 方 in のほう and how is it read?

It’s the kanji 方, read ほう here. In this grammar it means “side/direction” and marks the preferred side in a comparison. Don’t read it as かた (that’s a different reading/meaning used for “person (polite)” or “way/method”).

How do I make the sentence more polite or soften it?

Polite: ほぼ同じ料金でも、地元の店のほうがいいです。
Softer opinion: ほぼ同じ料金でも、地元の店のほうがいいと思います。
Expressing preference: …地元の店のほうが好きです。
Making a choice: …地元の店にします。 (“I’ll go with the local shop.”)

How would I say “even if it’s more expensive/cheaper”?

More expensive: 値段が高くても、地元の店のほうがいい。
Cheaper: 値段が安くても、地元の店のほうがいい。 You can also keep the fee word: 料金が高くても／安くても…

Why is there a comma after でも?

It marks the break between the concessive clause and the main clause. You could omit it in very short sentences, but the pause is natural: “Even if the price is almost the same, [pause] the local shop is better.”

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

ほぼおなじりょうきんでも、じもとのみせのほうがいい。