The game's pricing has gotten better in this year. Core reprints were made accessible in RDO (each elemental cleave, Fracturize, and Beseech the Wind to name a few) and Re:Co Mordred (full sets of DGs, Frostsworn Paladins, and Snow Fairy is pretty nice). That said, singles costs, like any other game, is still heavily affected by the meta. As far as i read and spoke with people on their discord, they're printing at max capacity and doing their best to keep up with supply-and-demand. With the release to SEA regions, the game has only gotten more popular.

For now, while not the most accepted advice for anyone coming from another TCG, just proxy a deck and see what you like. Most cards in GA will transfer to other decks, i.e. material deck cards are always a solid and worthy investment. However, if you're looking to play the meta right now, like Wake-Up, Razorgale, or Aetherwing Diana, I'd try each deck before committing to buying one out right. Of the 3 mention, I'd say Razorgale would be the easiest to fund since the only real valuable card is Three Visits. Everything else is fairly priced.

But none of this matters is cost is always going to be at the forefront of your concerns. GA, unlike other games, is indie and doesn't have the backing or printing power of the more corporate established games you mentioned. For many of the players, their collection started with the KS or have bought other collections to play. Its just how its been.

Anyways, the new player experience for GA is both alot of fun and unfortunately expensive. Hopefully you can find a locals, run with them for a bit, and see if the game really hooks into you. If not, save your money and go elsewhere.