Why should they be? As others have pointed out none of the prices are based on cost to make and distribute. At least not until you get down to the bargain basement, clearance level prices. The only thing making digital cheaper would accomplish is pissing off retail partners and shareholders.
Perhaps you shouldn't. Any honest Linux user will tell you up front if that if you have a comfortable system already it may not be worth the disruption in your workflow while dealing with the learning curve. That being said, being free from the whims of Apple is a nice feeling.
EDIT: I'm not sure what the state of virtualization is on the Mac side right now but it wouldn't be the worst idea to fire one up and try out a distro or two. Kick the tires before you think about committing.
I've got no great love for Android but the ecosystem is a lot less locked down for the most part compared to the Apple side. That at least opens up the door for tinkering with other options and controlling my environment.
I appreciate the clean interface and the relatively chill vibe. Regardless of what happens with reddit I think I'll be hanging out and enjoying the communities.