You could argue that I paid about $3000 Cdn (~ $2000 USD) for my OW course.
Of course, that price also includes a terms tuition studying electrical-engineering at university... The actual cost of the course was
only about $150 Cdn ($100 USD). Slightly cheaper, I think, than the normal going rate, but they didn't have to rent or maintain the pool, or provide classroom space, or any of those other details that would add overhead to a dive-shops costs.
As I recall the actual costs work out about as follows:
Course: $150
Books: $ 20-ish
mask/snorkle/fin $100-ish
bcd/tank/reg rental
-poolsessions: free
-OW weekend $80
accomodations OW weekend $75
boat-fee OW weekend $25
So a total cost of about $450 Cdn ($300 USD)
This was in the spring of 1998.
This was for 10 weeks, one night a week, each night having 2h in the classroom, and 2h in the pool.
The OW was up at tobermory and consisted of:
day one:
beach dive (lighthouse)
boat dive (Sweepstakes)
shore snorkle (tugs)
day two:
beach dive (Dave's bay)
boat dive: Minch
Probably more information than you wanted to know...
Jamie