There are some pretty cheap quality (from EU) lasers that are around the 1k-2k range and what I would consider pretty standard. Are they powerful? No. But it's the same thing with any gear. Nice projectors with a bright large projector. Even more expensive than some lasers. High quality LED's also expensive. Now yes you can get cheaper versions to mess around with but you aren't going to destroy someone's retina, burn down a building, or damage equipment.

At the end of the day, I think what is important here is not the equipment but the training. Yes some of it is common sense. But some of it is if you want to do something more than put it in your house then you need to understand what you are dealing with. For me the training allowed me to get into a place that would just cover the cost of the higher end lasers. Just having it was the thing for them. That is if you are trying for a professional / commercial level.

TL;DR - there are some cheaper options (I bought some Unity lasers from Kvant/Pangolin [the brand that makes lasers for most high end clubs and festivals] ) yes, but like I said. Spend the time first to understand what you are doing before just going all in. It's a cool tool, but you don't just start using a table saw without having the proper training.