Yes the hobby is still affordable. Join your local collective, start a collective, find location pinball, make location pinball, make pinball friends who like to share.
I own a few great games but 95% of my playing is not in my own house. I most enjoy going to our watering holes and playing with friends. There's so much pinball media tournaments etc out there that you don't need to own but so many of them.
That said, yes prices are absurd these days. No "casual" purchases to be had anymore.