Cost is relative
All depends on what you want, need, or combination of both. The low end PLCs can be under $500.00 (Euros are trading about even with Dollars these days). The high end systems can run into the thousands. A big consideration after you pick a processor, is what kind and amount of I/O you need. Lots of discrete (bit level in and out modules) and few smart I/O reduces the cost considerably. The more high end smart modules (I.E. analog, t/c input, high speed counters, etc.) the higher the cost. So, if you want a PLC to just play with, then a single board machine from Entertron would do the job or a comparable system from Automation Direct. Good luck with your choices.