An inkjet printer often costs less than a couple of replacement cartridge sets. That inversion is the business model rather than an accident of pricing.
The device is a channel to consumables
A printer generates revenue for years after purchase through cartridges, and the manufacturer treats the hardware sale as the cost of opening that channel. The machine is the entry point rather than the product being sold.
Pricing the machine aggressively places more devices in homes and offices, each of which becomes a recurring buyer of a proprietary supply that no competitor is allowed to fill directly.
The margin structure is therefore reversed compared with most electronics, where the device carries the profit and accessories follow.
Starter cartridges shorten the first cycle
Printers frequently ship with cartridges holding less ink than the retail versions, so the first replacement arrives sooner than a buyer expects.
That accelerates entry into the consumable cycle while keeping the boxed price low, since less ink is included in the sale.
The capacity difference is usually documented, but it sits in specifications rather than on the front of the box.
Compatibility is defended technically
Cartridges carry chips that authenticate to the printer, and firmware updates can change how third-party or refilled cartridges are treated.
Manufacturers describe this as protecting print quality and warranty coverage, while independent suppliers describe it as protecting the consumable margin.
Both effects are real, and the practical result is that supply choice can change after purchase through a software update.
Subscription plans reprice the same ink
Ink subscription programs charge by pages printed rather than by cartridge, with cartridges shipped automatically as usage requires.
This converts an unpredictable occasional purchase into a monthly fee, which is more valuable to the manufacturer because it is stable and forecastable.
The plans typically stop the cartridges working if the subscription lapses, since the ink was priced as a service rather than sold outright.
Where the arithmetic changes
Higher-priced printers with refillable tank systems invert the model again, charging considerably more for the hardware and much less per page across the machine's working life.
Which arrangement costs less depends almost entirely on print volume, since a household that prints rarely may never reach the point at which cheap pages repay the higher purchase price.
The comparison that reflects reality is cost per page across an expected few years of use, not the number on the box.