The quality of goods or services is generally proportional to their cost; cheaper options often mean lower quality.
This pragmatic saying emerged from commercial wisdom and has been expressed in various forms since at least the 19th century. It reflects the marketplace reality that higher quality typically requires better materials, more skilled labor, or more time, all of which increase costs.
While this saying often holds true, it can also be used to justify overpricing - sometimes you pay more for brand names, marketing, or perceived status rather than actual quality. The phrase has become more complex in the digital age, where some of the best products and services are actually free, supported by advertising or data collection instead.
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