Origin: Latin suffix -able
Affordable has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
Able to be afforded; inexpensive or reasonably priced.
"After comparing prices at several stores, she finally found an affordable laptop that fit her tight budget."
In plain English: Affordable means something costs so little that you can easily buy it without hurting your budget.
"The new smartphone is affordable enough for most students to buy."
Usage: Use affordable to describe something that costs less than a buyer can reasonably pay for without causing financial hardship. It implies availability within someone's budget rather than simply being cheap.
The word affordable comes from combining the verb to afford with the suffix -able. It entered English to describe something that can be purchased without causing financial hardship.