I bought a steel commuter for £400 in 2018 and rode it to work every day until last spring. It needed two chains, one set of cables, and a new bottom bracket. That is the entire maintenance bill.
Cheap bikes get a bad name from people who buy the wrong cheap bikes. The right one is a steel frame, a rack, and tyres that do not panic in the rain.
I have a nicer bike now. I miss the old one more than I expected.