I totally agree with you about cost, though the disparity between "tops" and "good" has become bigger. In the late '60s the Peugeot PX10 for $140 or Releight Super Course for $120 were good bikes by most yardsticks. The top model from a UK manufacturer would have been teh Raleigh International or Professional, in the $250 range. Today the same disparity in quality is a 15 to 1 ratio.
I manage the cost by building myself "new" bikes from vintage high-grade frames and key components. I don't expeience the "magic" of carbon versus high-end steel, but that is ok.