Where are you?
Croatia?
So, is that 89 Croatian Kuna = $14 USD?
There is a point where the cost/value of labor is more than the cost of consumable parts. Of course economies are different everywhere.
I still would have put the new chain on and did a test ride with the old cassette before replacing. If one can't force it to skip with a new chain, then it will be good for at least another chain.