Correct, really good tea can be cheap. I am a fanatical tea drinker -- something like a gallon a day. And I find a 100 gm supply (3.5 oz) to go for about a month. At teaspring.com, that much of a geniunely good Taiwanese oolong (my favorite) costs about $20.
I don't know how much a month's supply of really good coffee costs for the fanatical drinker, but I know my monthly budget sure wouldn't get you far at Starbuck's . . .
Good tea is cheap, you typically just mail-order a good quantity at a time and keep it in an airtight tin. The samplers from Adagio are ~1 oz., and a great way to try out several for a few dollars each.