I'm sure there are cheaper routes to go, but $4k is still a hefty chunk of money to achieve something entirely unrelated to the actual task/goal beyond regulatory absurdity. And yea, most people will not complete it in the minimum hours, so the cost will likely be a few grand higher still.
But as I said, this is all because regulations haven't had the time to catch up to the technology. And I'm not criticizing that, you don't want rushed regulations that miss the mark. What we have no isn't ideal by a long shot, but it's a workable stopgap until a more thorough solution comes to pass.
So this is funny. I have a (very pleasant) recurring dream that I can fly, like swim through the sky type of flying. I fly above the trees, land on roof tops, etc. It's great. So last night, I have the dream again, and I kid you not, in the dream I think to myself "Hey, I'm going to mount a gimbal and a GoPro to a bicycle helmet, and then I can get any video I want and the FAA can't restrict me since I'm not "operating" anything but myself. I can go over 400 feet, I can sell my videos, etc.". And then I woke up and it was a double disappointment. Not only can't I really fly... but I'm still restricted in the use of the vehicle I CAN fly!