Not even close to the same. Hell build 3 cages for the price of just a PVC cae. IDK where your looking at PVC sheet prices but everywhere that I have it's not even worth building your own.
And for those to say the melamine won't last...........how so. I have worth with this kind of wood before (not with snakes) and it has no problems holding up. I mean hell so many things ppl dont even think of are melamine. Like pretty much everything at a high school, some counter tops. If 1000's of kids can no wear the laminate down over 5+ years I just can't see a snake doing it EVER