(cliché)   Fig.: to pay a very high price.

We only drive to Manhattan on weekends because on week days you have to pay through the nose to park your car

Quando dobbiamo andare a Manhattan in macchina, ci andiamo solo durante i fine settimana perché il parcheggio nei giorni feriali è salatissimo

Nowadays you can find tropical fruit in winter too, but you have to pay through the nose for it

Oggigiorno si trova frutta tropicale anche in inverno, ma la si paga profumatamente

Going to the Super Bowl has always been my dream, but the regular tickets are sold out and if I go to a scalper, he will make me pay through the nose for one

Ho sempre sognato di andare al Super Bowl, ma i biglietti regolari sono esauriti e se mi rivolgo a un bagarino, il biglietto mi costerà un prezzo salatissimo

One of the few explanations to this expression may refer to the Danish poll tax imposed on the Irish in the 9th century. It was also called the Danish nose tax because it's said that the Danes slit the nose of delinquent taxpayers. However, the phrase did not appear in print until 1672. Another possible explanation is placed on Viking raiders. Vikings would require the payment of tribute from cities they did not raid. If the king refused to pay tribute, they would slit their noses. Hence, the king paid "through" the nose