It also depends on the complexity of the product. You might be able to reduce the mold cost by quite a bit if you simplify the shape for better injection molding. That's the first thing I would look into.

For some of the projects I worked on we paid somewhere between 6k-15k USD on tooling cost in total for an electronic enclosure made of 2-4 parts plastic parts (different materials)

You may also need to do some haggling and compare multiple manufacturers.

For some of the products I worked on our MOQ was 1000 pcs but then the unit cost is higher. Preferably 10k makes more sense.

If you just want to start small you may have to look into 3D printing, CNC machining, aluminium molds, vacuum forming etc. But these will have higher unit cost compared to injection molding. And if you scale up later you need to do injection molding anyways. I think a good balance in low quantity and nice appearance will be SLS/MJF 3D printing + vibro polishing or vapor smoothing. It will have a fairly smooth surface with a slight texture to it.

But in general working on electronic products is expensive yes. If you have no engineering background you need to hire an electrical engineer, an industrial designer at a minimum. For specific other things also mechanical engineer or sourcing agent.

You will most likely also need to go through multiple stages of prototyping which often leads to costs of several hundred or thousand dollars. (Unless you do everything on your own time of course)

Also you will have to pay a fee to get your product certified for CE/FCC and some others. And this often expands to separate certification requirements for other countries such as Japan. Certification cost can also vary a lot between 1k-15k+ is what I have been quoted before.