羊毛出在羊身上

yángmáochūzàiyángshēnshàng ㄧㄤˊ ㄇㄠˊ ㄔㄨ ㄗㄞˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄕㄣ ㄕㄤˋ

    • lit. wool comes from the sheep's back (idiom) One gets the benefit, but the price has been paid.
    • Nothing comes for free.

Character by character

Saying俗语俗語

Idiom惯用语 · In everyday use

Literally
the wool comes from the sheep's own back
Meaning
What looks like a free gift or benefit is really paid for by the recipient, one way or another. Often said wryly about discounts or freebies built into the price.

Sources