I agree with Renegade. things cost what they cost because that's what people will pay for them.
Having said that, and having just completed my first modern pattern plane (a Xigris C2), pattern planes and kits are different.
Components like vacuum bagged fuselages, carbon fiber landing gear and other very light components are labor intensive and therefore more costly to produce.
I don't think we're entirely rational in our purchasing decisions, either. A friend has tried to sell a couple of very nice pattern planes at a very reasonable prices without a single nibble. We don't want 'good enough', we feel like we need the ultimate, even when we're starting out.