I think the price may reflect the quality of the job. One of the places in the Wash DC area is actually in Manasas VA call Figure Finishing. I had them do a rear triangle from a folding bike that had tons of braze on parts. I stripped the paint and they blasted it for consistant finish for the paint to "bite". They do a log of bikes and do a great job, but you pay for it. Last I checked they charged about $125 for the frame in a single color. The fork is $75 so about $200 for a frame set. That is a single coat.
I was very happy with the results and would say it is near the quality of a wet paint job. He is very careful about every step including thickness. Black is less than other colors too as most items are black that are painted.
http://figurefinishing.com/