If you pay peanuts, you get peanuts. Tattooing is an expensive addition to your body and if you are set of getting something at a high quality then you should be prepared to pay the higher cost.
I know a guy who flew from Sydney to Thailand to get his sleeve done by a guy there just because he had read amazing reviews about the artist. He spent $3000 on flights alone, for 3 sessions. So it is definitely something that you have to plan financially and be set on for life.
Don’t settle for someone cheaper just because it is going to cost a little more than you wanted to spend.