Nadie da nada a cambio de nada

[ROBINDESBOIS]

English?

[spacemaker]

Nobody gives something for nothing.

[Rusty]

Also: No one gives something for nothing.

More common: You don't get something for nothing.

[chileno]

There isn't such a thing as free lunch.

[Rusty]

There's no such thing as a free lunch.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

[chileno]

There's no such thing as a free lunch.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Right. My accent shows. :D

[JPablo]

Not that I want to make things more complex, but here are some more variations and/or related expressions that may be of interest.
In Spanish there equivalents such as,
Nadie regala nada.
Nadie da duros a cuatro pesetas. (Spain)
Nadie da algo a cambio de nada.
¿Tú te crees que las cosas las regalan?
¿Crees que alguien te va a regalar algo... por tu cara bonita?
Also, related, as a variation, having to do with "exchange" or maybe "marketing" and "promotion",
El que regala bien vende, si el que lo toma lo entiende.
I.e., some sales people may give another a nice gift, that makes the person who receives it, see its value, and buy more of the same... getting the person as a costumer... or similar concept.
Also somewhat related,
"No hay pan que no cueste una torta"
"les está costando la torta un pan" it’s costing us/them more than we’re/they’re saving o it’s a false economy
"There is no smoke without fire".
"You pays your money and you take/get your chance" (the bad grammar I believe is in the original 'expression'.)

[chileno]

Not that I want to make things more complex, but here are some more variations and/or related expressions that may be of interest.
In Spanish there equivalents such as,
Nadie regala nada.
Nadie da duros a cuatro pesetas. (Spain)
Nadie da algo a cambio de nada.
¿Tú te crees que las cosas las regalan?
¿Crees que alguien te va a regalar algo... por tu cara bonita?
Also, related, as a variation, having to do with "exchange" or maybe "marketing" and "promotion",
El que regala bien vende, si el que lo toma lo entiende.
I.e., some sales people may give another a nice gift, that makes the person who receives it, see its value, and buy more of the same... getting the person as a costumer... or similar concept.
Also somewhat related,
"No hay pan que no cueste una torta"
"les está costando la torta un pan" it’s costing us/them more than we’re/they’re saving o it’s a false economy
"There is no smoke without fire".
"You pays your money and you take/get your chance" (the bad grammar I believe is in the original 'expression'.)

Nada relacionado con árboles?

"El dinero no crece en (los) árboles" o "las cosas no crecen en los árboles" :-)

[JPablo]

Buena idea.
In English,
You think money grow on trees? Right? (Even if a bit "off" from the original question by the Archer of Archers... still in the realm of a close enough concept.)

[pjt33]

"You pays your money and you take/get your chance" (the bad grammar I believe is in the original 'expression'.)
It's more consistently bad:

You pays your money and you takes your chance.

[JPablo]

By golly! Youse are right! (Or "thou are right"?) Something like a royal you? (or a royal blunder perpetuated!) ("Plural mayestático", in Spanish, pero a lo bestia.) (Or maybe a plebeian blunder) :lol:

[Perikles]

Or "thou are right" :bad:thou art right :D

[JPablo]

Blistering barnacles! (Sorry, that's Captain Haddock...)
By Jove!
THOU ART RIGHT THYSELF! (Indeed!) :D