There are two kinds of iPads.
1) You can connect via a cell phone network, in which case you will have to pay additional money each month for a data plan. I'm not sure if you can connect via a "hot spot" or your cell phone, but either way, you're still paying for a data plan.
2) Or, you can connect via wifi, or wireless internet. If you already have wifi in your home, there is not an additional cost. If your connection keeps dropping, it could be that your router is too far from where you're using your iPad, or you need to upgrade your router. I agree with the previous poster who said it's not that expensive. If your router keeps dropping, it's time to replace it anyway because sooner or later it's going to drop completely dead. We go through a router about every 3-5 years.
I have both an iPod and an iPad, and the iPad gets better "reception" than my iPod does.