Only the small electric park flyers are less expensive. When you get into the larger (i.e. .40 size planes and up), with brushless motors and LiPo batteries, you end up paying quite a bit more up front. I have some smaller brushless/electric planes, but for larger planes I'm still sticking with nitro.

Here's two inexpensive electric park flyers that seem to fly pretty well:

Firebird Phantom ($60):
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HBZ4700

HobbyZone Super Cub ($160):
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HBZ7100

EDIT: Here's a larger electric RTF trainer with a brushless motor and NiMH battery pack, it'll run you $300:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXNVC0**&P=0