From my point of view, a person gets what they pay for. I'd rather buy one Eduard Fw 190D in a year than 2 or 3 lesser quality kits. And, in my case it takes me years to finish a model, so maybe it's a different issue. I certainly wouldn't spend $50 on a model to throw together in a weekend and put no love in it. But that's just me.
Also, the world is what it is. I don't think it has anything to do with FSM, how much kits cost. That's purely determined by the market. Good quality comes at a price. For example, Apple computers 'sticker' price are usually more expensive than crappy Windows PCs, but there have been many studies that show total cost of ownership of a Mac is less than a PC. It all depends on how you want to look at it.
A new Eduard kit comes with photo etch, high quality decals and even canopy masks - all things that you may have to buy from an aftermarket company if you're building a $10 Monogram kit. I submit that a $50 modern kit is a better value than any $10 kit you can find.
Also, there's the matter of getting a good price for a kit. I never pay full price for a kit; if you look around online you can get a good deal. That's an even more compelling argument since you say you live in a place uncontaminated by hobby shops.
If you want something, you'll find a way to get it.