I agree with the British, Australian, Canadian and Swedish posters on this thread! If fat quarters here were $3 US, I'd consider them a real bargain!
Batiks here, for example, run about $25 to $30 a meter...which includes 17% sales tax, customs taxes and the mark-up the shop owner needs to stay in business.
I live in a country with ONE quilting shop. One. So I buy online or on trips, and I buy a lot of fat quarters just so I can have some variety in my stash, so that I know what is going on in the world of fabric, and because I really like to make quilts with lots of different fabrics. I also buy them to try a fabric out, as a border for example, before ordering a larger quantity.
I honestly don't mind paying $3 for a FQ, plus shipping (I try to buy enough fabric at a time to fill a flat rate envelope, which makes the shipping cost more reasonable) and try to find cool projects to use them in. I may end up buying a lot less fabric than quilters in the US, but if I want the joy and satisfaction of my hobby, it's the price I have to pay.