Equal or better tonearm than Jelco for like amount of money

Yes, the upper end Jelco's are more expensive.
My TK-850L MKII was just north of $1000 with shipping, this was the best price I can find. The fit and finish on these new arms are excellent, I would think there is very limited number of MKII's available now that they are closing up shop.
https://www.jelco-ichikawa.co.jp/cn3/tk-850l_mk2.html

The original TK-850M is a very good tonearm, I purchased one last year and was in the process of picking up one of the new MkII arms a couple of days ago when Jelco decided to cease production.I am still trying to get another TK-850M MkII but since Jelco's shutdown news the prices have jumped up by about $200.00 from last week.

Any new or used SME 3009 (NON IMPROVED version) arm.  They should be anywhere from $300 - $1000 approximately.  I bought a brand new 3009R for my Linn Sondek and I am extremely happy with it ($1400 at ebay).

At $1000-1500 one of the best is Technics EPA-100 "10.5 tonearm (titanium tinride) with Ruby Ball Bearings and dynamic damping.

 A variable dynamic damping system which permits the user to tune the arm for compatibility with virtually any cartridge now available. An extremely stable 4-point Gimbal suspension employing ruby ball bearings which maintain static friction at 5mg or less for movement in any direction. A titanium nitride shaft which is light and also resistant to flexing and resonances. These elements all contribute to one end, keeping the stylus in optimum contact with the record grooves. Although this many seem elementary, the ability of the EPA-100 to perform this function in a high grade sound system can make a noticeable difference in the clarity and openness of the resulting sound.