His point was that the software might be free but there was too high a cost struggling with... Well, that's where the common misunderstanding is: free software

His point was that the software might be free but there was too high a cost struggling with... Well, that's where the common misunderstanding is: free software is not about the cost. When you factor in the cost of having access to the code and of having the rights to redistribute the programs and of being able to make derivative works, the equation, IMHO, is usually in favour of free software. Remember: free as in freedom, not as in beer. Having said that, I agree with what you are saying - I often use proprietary software because it fits my needs better or is in some other way superior and I don't require the source code or freedom which the free software alternatives would give me. If I did, however, then the free software would, indeed, be cheaper, even factoring in the hidden costs.