Hi Dave,
There are some 220v X10 modules manufactured in Europe, for example the Xanura (
http://www.xanura.nl) in-wall modules (Eaton-Holec company), but all X10 products, branded has BMB or Marmitek are manufactured in China.
I think the prices are higher because of produced quantity. In Europe the X10 market is much more small than in the US, and there is also the problem of different plugs in different countries (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets), also increasing the price of the modules.
Currently there have been some new products manufactured in China. They are branded has S10, but they work exactly like X10, with additional features. For instance the
http://www.eurox10.com/Product/EasyX10/Actuators/S2026G.htm is the same as the LM12, but allows to be programmed with 16 different X10 addresses! Also the module includes a filter - avoiding interference by the load connected to the module.
They also claim to have a better signal/noise ratio, but after some testing I can't say for sure!
In US is easy to find X10 on retail stores? Or is the internet the best place to buy X10 products?