Unfortunately that is so. In that case I 'd recommend (used or older) laptops compatible with linux and (older) phones known to be compatible with LineageOS (or postmarketOS if you are adventurous). This "solution" may not work everywhere in the world but hopefully it will cover a not insignificant part of non EU/US/UK.
One of the best purchases I ever made was a le eco le pro 3 phone once the company went bankrupt for half the retail price 5 years ago. Bought it because it already had LineageOS support. Today it runs Lineage OS 18.1 (android 11) like a champ, it can be make to run bank apps (passing safetynet) if I want to. Still lineage OS is not a silver bullet you either need to get lucky and pick a phone with a big enough following that volunteer devs will support or scout XDA threads in order to identify those phones before purchasing.
Try buying any of those in Brazil or non US/UK/EU countries and you’re going to have tons of fun with import taxes and shipping.
Suddenly, a cheap device costs more than a flagship iPhone or android with none of their benefits except the intangible freedom.