I think it's important to echo operator's statements about TPI and how it relates to tire feel. Rubber quality, thickness on the tread and sidewalls, the puncture resistant layer, if any, and the flexibility of the underlying casing are the main things that affect how a tire feels. Cost isn't really a good indicator of how good a tire is for a given result, it's whether you're looking for puncture protection, a good feeling tire, miles per dollar, or ultimate color matching fashion.

Continental Gatorskin vs. Michelin Lithion for example, they may cost about the same, but the Lithion is going to ride better, because the Gatorskin sacrifices feel for better puncture protection.

I've had people on group rides specifically comment about how much worse their bike rides, because they got an excellent deal, $10 each for "the cheap tire from a big German company" but the last set of tires on their bike was what it came with, Michelin Pro2 Race. For some reason they didn't expect there to be a big difference there. When the online store says "low rolling resistance training tire!" they don't exactly qualify "low" very well...