What is the difference between the following sentences?

Question

'It costs $50 per person'

'It costs $50 for each person'

Comments

The second one sounds a bit odd to me. You mean the diffidence in terms of meaning, usage or grammar?

The second one, if correct, sounds informal. I heard the first one more often. Otherwise both deliver the same message

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I mean their difference in terms of usage & meaning. To put you in the picture, a student of mine asked about the meaning of 'per'. I provided her with 'each'. Though satisfied, she proceeded to ask her next question about the difference between these two! That was when I myself wondered what could the difference between these two be!

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Since the correction and the fact that now Ali has given the correct answer, I just wanted to share my findings from the net: 

per = for each --> 'per person' = 'for each', not 'each'

It costs $50 needs an adverbial modifier if any is considered appropriate.

It usually costs $50.

It costs $50 Thursdays.

It costs $50 a bottle.

Adverbs, and the rare adverbial objective (noun used adverbially), fit the bill.

More commonly, to-infinitive clauses and especially prepositional phrases will be used:

It costs $50 to get there.

It costs $50 on the tram.

It costs $50 for a bottle.

It costs $50 per person.

It costs $50 for each person.

But

*/?It costs $50 each person.

would probably not usually be considered acceptable; it would be an adverbial objective usage, with the preposition 'for' dropped from the prepositional phrase, and this often does not give an acceptable-sounding variant. (This particular example may sound more acceptable in the States than in the UK. 'It costs $50 a person' would however be quite acceptable.)

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Hey Amir

THX a zillion for ur attention.
 

Answer 1

Hi

The word "Each" plays several grammatical roles in the sentences:

1- Each: adj.

Each student was given an apple.   

2- Each: pron. 

Each had a different solution to the topic.                   

3- Each: adv.

She gave us two pens each.

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Per: preposition

1 for each (used with units to express a rate): he charges £2 per square yard.

2 archaic by means of: send it per express.

3 (as per) in accordance with: made as per instructions.

4 Heraldry divided by a line in the direction of: per bend | per pale | per saltire.