A big part of the reason crab is so expensive is that the meat is tough to get out of the shell, so it costs more to process. You can’t program a machine to pick crab, so it must be done entirely by hand. Crab may be more expensive in some areas than others.  For instance, crabs will be cheaper in areas next to the coast where they are caught, whereas inland they will cost more due to transportation costs. To get the best prices, we recommend indulging in crab when you are in an area where they are locally caught.