cost as much as / more expensive than

[Progress]

Which is better or correct and why?

A trip to Bali costs seven times as much as a trip to Kyoto.
A trip to Bali costs seven times more expensive than a trip to Kyoto.

I googled, putting "costs * times as much as/ costs * times more expensive than" but got similar hits.

Thank you very much.

[Harry Smith]

Originally Posted by Progress

Which is better or correct and why?

A trip to Bali costs seven times as much as a trip to Kyoto.
A trip to Bali costs seven times more expensive than a trip to Kyoto.

I googled, putting "costs * times as much as/ costs * times more expensive than" but got similar hits.

Thank you very much.

I'd vote for the second sentence:
A trip to Bali costs seven times more expensive than a trip to Kyoto.

The first sentence will be correct if you say:
A trip to Bali costs as much as a trip to Kyoto.

[Teia]

Originally Posted by Progress

Which is better or correct and why?

A trip to Bali costs seven times as much as a trip to Kyoto.
A trip to Bali costs seven times more expensive than a trip to Kyoto.

I googled, putting "costs * times as much as/ costs * times more expensive than" but got similar hits.

Thank you very much.

A trip to Bali costs seven times more [it`s seven times more expensive] than a trip to Kyoto.
A trip to Bali costs as much as [it has the same price as] a trip to Kyoto

[Barb_D]

My opinion:
You can say "is seven times more expensive"

You can say "costs seven times as much"

But you cannot say "costs seven times more expensive"

[a writer, but not a teacher]

[Progress]

I thought so Barb D

[Harry Smith]

Originally Posted by Progress

I thought so Barb D

And what's the difference between "costs" and "is" in your sentence?
Can you explain?

[Barb_D]

I see it as the same situation as:
This box weighs twice as much as that box.
This box is twice as heavy as that box.
But not: This box weighs twice as heavy as that box.

Is describes a characteristic - it's expensive, it's heavy. It's more expensive, twice as expensive, three times as heavy.

You don't use that characterisic (expensive, heavy) with a verb liks costs or weighs.
You don't say "It costs expensive" or "It weighs heavy."

[Progress]

Thank you very much Barb D