To be honest, the Apple ][ even back in its days was expensive compared to the other 8-bit machines. My parents could never afford an Apple, but we could afford an Atari 400[1]. The first Apples I saw were bought by my high school (IIe). For the price of just the IIe, I could get a machine with a floppy, printer, and monitor. Apple has always been more expensive than its competitors.

1) thanks to Jay Miner and company had better graphics and sound than the Apple ][