US couples average roughly $500–$1,100 per band, but averages hide the real logic: you're paying for metal weight, then stones, then labor.
Plain gold bands run $300–$900 depending on karat and width; platinum adds $200–$400 for its density. Diamond-set bands start around $900 and climb with total carat weight — a full eternity band of one carat total lands $1,800–$3,000. Alternative metals flip the equation: tungsten and tantalum deliver bold widths for $200–$700.
Where not to economize
Buy solid metal, never plated or hollowed ('tube') construction; both fail within years. A modest solid band outlives an impressive hollow one by decades — and ours carry a lifetime warranty either way.