Why do some non-stick pans costs so much more than others?

There are all sorts of reasons, some of them obvious: a lightweight pan made of thin pressed aluminum costs much less to make than a heavy cast one. But there are important differences in the quality of the non-stick coating as well. A cheap pan will probably have a single-layer coating only 7- 8 microns thick, which will wear away quickly. At the upper price bracket, however; you can expect sophisticated three layer coatings with a total thickness of 40 microns or more.