I just did epoxy counters in my house and I'm really happy with them. They look just like a slab of really amazing high-end granite, only they cost about $800 for 60 square feet instead of $6,000. I'm definitely going to keep doing them in all the low to medium end houses that I rebuild. You can make them in any color you want, and they really do look stunning. They do take a lot of prep work to make sure everything is ready for the epoxy, but pouring the epoxy is a ton of fun. Look at Stone Coat Countertops' series of Youtube videos for instructions.

Another cheaper option that I've used with great success is MSI's big granite tiles, available at Home Depot. The tiles plus the plywood underlayment also cost roughly $800 for 60 feet. If you're willing to overlook the grout lines between tiles, you get all the durability and good looks of granite for a fraction of the price. You will need to know how to set tiles yourself though. If you have to hire someone it will probably cost about the same as real granite.

If I was doing a kitchen for myself and wanted an even cheaper option, I'd go with polished porcelain tiles at about $3/foot, plus the plywood underlayment. They look plenty good enough, they're going to be reasonably durable, and if I break one I can replace it. Again, this is only a cheap option because I can do it myself.

If you're going to insist on something locally sourced, you can sometimes find people selling used granite countertops on FB Marketplace or Craigslist. You'll need to cut and rearrange the granite yourself to make it fit your kitchen. You can also find used laminate counters for free if you're really desperate to save money.