Of course it varies. I’ve paid less than 500 gold to fully equip some characters and >15k to equip others. A new player would not have that gold, and probably hasn’t even bought faster flying at that point.
There’s a 10-20% chance of warforging depending on the content. Relic drops in dungeons have been nerfed and until a player gets to Argus they may have none, or only quest rewards.