Can't really compare from that long ago, given the current economical situation and inflation.
But it's also better hardware, they still sell older models too, so if you don't need the performance increase then there's cheaper options still available (and different models to further narrow down to what you need it for). I think they are defo worth $60.

Yeah it's weird that they don't have plans for that price point. I mean, given inflation the starting price should be closer to $50 USD, so I'm guessing they're going to continue production of RPi4 to keep that entry level low.