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Según la estimación, el total viene a ser mil euros.

Según la estimación, el total viene a ser mil euros.
According to the estimate, the total roughly amounts to one thousand euros.
From Lesson 381:Approximation (venir a + infinitive)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Según la estimación, el total viene a ser mil euros.

How does viene a ser change the meaning here compared to simply saying es?
This is the core of the approximation structure. If the sentence said el total es mil euros, it would mean the total is exactly 1,000 euros. By using viene a ser, you add a sense of approximation, meaning it roughly amounts to or comes to approximately that amount.
Can I use venir a with verbs other than ser to show approximation?
Yes! While viene a ser (roughly amounts to) is very common, you can use this structure with other verbs too. For example, el arreglo viene a costar mil euros means the repair costs roughly a thousand euros, and vino a decir que no means he basically said no.
Why doesn't it say un mil euros for 'one thousand euros'?
In Spanish, the number 1,000 is always translated simply as mil. English speakers often make the mistake of adding un because we say 'one thousand' or 'a thousand', but Spanish never places un before mil. You do, however, use un for a million: un millón.
Could I use another verb like llegar a instead of venir a here?
You could say llega a mil euros, but it changes the nuance. Llegar a (to reach) emphasizes that the total climbed to a certain high point. Venir a, on the other hand, is neutral and strictly focuses on the approximation of the estimate.

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