Kiln prices span a wide range and the purchase price is only part of the number that matters. Installation, furniture and the electricity a firing uses all sit alongside it, and the last of those is calculated from the kiln's rating rather than read from a page.
What sets the purchase price
Chamber size, maximum temperature, build quality and the controller. A small plug-in test kiln, a plug-in studio kiln and a large hard-wired kiln sit in clearly separate price brackets, and within each the differences are about brick quality, element life and how well the machine is finished rather than about what the ceramics come out like.
The costs beside it
Electrical installation for anything above about three kilowatts. Delivery and positioning for a heavy machine. And kiln furniture, which is easy to underestimate: a full set of shelves and props for a studio kiln is a substantial purchase in its own right and is consumable rather than permanent.
Working out the running cost
Take the kiln's kilowatt rating, estimate the hours at or near full power over the schedule, and multiply by your electricity tariff. That is a better estimate than any published figure, because tariffs and schedules vary more than kilns do. A full kiln is much cheaper per pot than a half-empty one, which is the only running-cost lever most people have.
Where the money is best spent
On a kiln whose parts are available and whose rating leaves a margin above your working temperature. Both extend the machine's life materially. Spending more on a bigger chamber than you will fill is the most common way to pay for something that costs you again every firing.
Questions people ask about kiln price
How much is a kiln?
Prices vary widely by chamber size and rating. The purchase price also excludes installation, delivery and kiln furniture, all of which are real.
What does a firing cost to run?
Calculate from the kilowatt rating, the hours at power and your tariff. A full kiln is far cheaper per pot than a half-empty one.
Is an expensive kiln worth it?
Where the money buys parts availability and a temperature margin, yes, because both extend the machine's working life.