My personal EDC kit is in the $100-140 range.

The difference between a $15 kit and a $100+ kit is:

The quality of items
The compactness of items allowing no brainer carry convenience.

A cheaper kit is much bulkier and not as effective potentially.

Its also about comfort level and what you are willing to live with. A bulky EDC is more likely to be left home as its not convenient to carry 365 days/yr. I believe a $100 can be afforded by all short of the most hard up people, just collect the items over time to minimize the wallets impact.

Flip