Give Joes Ancient Orange Mead a try
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/joes-ancient-orange-mead-49106/
Many people have had great success with the recipe and have enjoyed it immensely.
Yes, honey is getting expensive. The larger the quantities you can find it in, the cheaper per # it can get. The small store sizes are anywhere from $4-$7/lb. But once you start finding the 12lb or larger, you may be able to get it for $3/lb or less.