The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word EXORBITANT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
X
O
R
B
I
T
A
N
T
More clues leading to the result EXORBITANT
- Old men part with a set of books? Outrageous!
- Going beyond the usual limits to get extra bit on suspect
- Brexit not a disaster? It’s very costly
- Excessive influence held by former worker
- Cycle stocked by old worker is a rip-off
- Former servicemen scrap with soldier over what one should pay?
- Former path of worker was unwarranted
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "very costly" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case very costly = exorbitant.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EXORBITANT mean?
EXORBITANT adjective- Exceeding proper limits; extravagant; excessive or unduly high.