I have read that HP makes 50% of its annual corporate profit from the sale of printer ink.  Its like the old Polaroid camera - the camera was cheap, the film was expensive.\nI get my ink from ABC Ink.  For an older Epson printer, I pay $3.00 for black and about $4 to $5 for color.\nMy recommendation: before buying a printer, check the Internet for price of ink for that printer. Pick the printer that meets your needs that has the cheapest ink.\nAlso, there is now a business that will refill your empty ink cartridges for about 1/2 the price of a new one.  You can use Google to see if there is one near you.  But for my Epsons, the internet has the lowest prices.
Why is printer ink so expensive?