Here is my perspective as a new piggy parent and my experience so far.
I know there are probably cheaper ways to do it, but I ordered my cage set up from guineapigcagesstore.com because my research led me to c&c cages being the best option, and I don't have direct access to the materials to make it myself. I've got over $1,000 invested in my 4 guinea pigs that I've had for less than 1 month. Between their cage setup, fleece bedding, hay, treats, food, hides, water bottles, food dishes, the pigs themselves, and all of their cage accessories. That doesn't include what I spend on their daily 4 cups of fresh veggies and an unexpected trip to the vet where my piggy needed pain medication. I've also had to hand syringe one for several days as she wasn't eating on her own.
I spot clean their cage daily with a dust buster and do a full clean out once a week and wash all the soft hideys and fleece. I feed them 4 cups of fresh veggies split up into 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night. I refill their pellets every morning as well as their water bottles.
The piggies are also slow to trust as they're prey animals, so mine still run from me and hide. I spend a lot of time sitting and talking to them to get them used to my voice and associate me with food, so they know my scary presence brings a treat with it. But they still aren't comfortable with me and aren't excited when I bring their food. Yet.
They also need weekly weight checks to make sure they're healthy, and need their nails trimmed which I haven't done yet but know is going to be difficult for me.
They aren't hard to take care of, but they require a lot of care. They require more of me than my 2 dogs, and need quite a bit more maintenance in their daily care.
Again, I'm not an expert and I've only been a piggy parent for a short time and this my own personal experience, not a universal one.