Garden furniture costs more because it has to stand up to rain, sun, freeze-thaw cycles, and still look decent. The good sets use powder-coated aluminum or solid recycled plastic, stainless hardware, and UV-stable fabrics like Sunbrella, all of which add to the price. On top of that, it’s bulky to ship and a lot of pieces are low-volume, so you end up paying extra. The cheaper sets I tried peeled and sagged within two seasons.
I switched to a Canadian-made set last year and it’s held up really well, the cushions are still firm even after winter storage. I got mine from
https://wickerpark.ca/ during a sale and appreciated the quick shipping and fabric options.