To obtain one thing by sacrificing a more valuable one

 If you cheat on your income taxes, you'll pay the price sooner or later

Se non paghi le tasse dovute, prima o poi ne pagherai lo scotto

You cannot think of always getting away with it, sooner or later you'll have to pay the price for your wrong-doings

Non puoi pretendere di farla sempre franca, prima o poi dovrai pagare lo scotto per le tue malefatte

Temperature will raise during the week-end, but we'll have to pay the price: rain, rain and more rain

Durante il fine settimana il freddo si attenuerà, ma dovremo pagarne lo scotto: pioggia, pioggia e ancora pioggia

President Woodrow Wilson used it in a speech in 1916: "There is a price which is too great to pay for peace, and that price can be put in one word: One cannot pay the price of self-respect"