I never understood the razor/razorblade analogy. A razor handle without a blade is just a shaped bit of plastic or metal, without any working or moving parts. The precision engineering is all in the blade. It'd be weird if the handle wasn't cheap and the blades more expensive.
But a printer really is a non-trivial set of electronics and working parts, so it is more surprising that they're so cheap.
But a printer really is a non-trivial set of electronics and working parts, so it is more surprising that they're so cheap.