I mean you can get a good lodge cast iron pan for like $25, so it’s not really even that expensive. Sure the fancy ones are $100-200, but (don’t tell the cast iron fanatics) they’re only marginally better than lodge, and mostly because of things like aesthetics, ergonomics & weight than cooking performance.
Cast iron is expensive. Between the material itself and the late hype for this particular type of kitchenware, price are high.
I bought my first cast iron pot for €45. It’s a 4 litre, so not that big.
I recently bought in a promotion a skillet and grill for €40, as a promotion, but each piece should have cost of around €40/piece. Most won’t fork that much.
Right now, I’m thinking about a nice paella or mushroom ragu to really break in the skillet.