I agree "inexpensive" is a relative term. When I first travelled overseas, I didn't want to travel with a uke, so I bought a $30 cheapie when I got there and it became my trip uke. Not much in terms of tone, but intonation and playability were fine, so I was happy to have it. No telling how long it would have lasted, as I abandoned it there after my trip was over.
I purchased a $79 Makala for a friend's nephew, and I was pleasantly surprised; again, not a world-class instrument, but for the very reasonable price, it played well and sounded fine.
My two Mainlands retail for around $200 or so each, and I think they are great ukes. There are definitely higher-priced ukes that will give you more, but I feel like the Mainlands pretty much have everything the casual player needs in terms of construction, tone, looks, and playability. $200 may not be cheap to a lot of people, but its not much for an instrument that could meet your needs for years.