Other countries are cheaper, but the US isnt that bad. I pay about $40/month for unlimited voice/text/data, including nice bonuses like free roaming in Canada and Mexico.
The federal government also subsidizes service for low income households: https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline-consumers
More prevalent use of dual sim phones would also help - I get all the data from my work sim, but most of my calls are made on the personal one.