And they needed western currency. Although these exploitative conditions now seem to have come to an end, the recordings made under them are still being sold at very cheap prices. There are orchestras in the western world, too, who are prepared to record for minimal rates for various reasons, or are subsidized by their home cities or countries. Needless to say they are not listed among the world's most elite ensembles. Budget labels also compromise on quality in order to keep costs down.
Some savings are in presentation.
Try and issue a record of Monteverdi vocal music or something similar without translations and see how short the shrift you get from the critics, to say nothing of the buyers . Other economies are possible in the marketing of cheap CDs. The foregoing facts apply in Britain. Most of the rest of the world pays much the same as Britain. The lower price of CDs in America is sometimes given as 'proof' that they are overpriced elsewhere.