1997 VW Jetta HARD TO DOWNSHIFT

Sounds like a synchro problem. Probably have to have th etrans gone through. Price. Hmmm. Kind of depends if anything is actually broken in the trans or if it just needs to be freshened up. Call a few trans shops in your area and ask them how much for just the rebuild and that will give you a general idea of what you are gonna spend. Sorry couldnt be more specific. Shops charge a little different hourly depending on where you are