"Alabama" is an Asian-made brand sold in Canada. If
this listing is correct, it's all solid woods, spruce top and mahogany back and sides, heat-pressed and not carved ("carved" is better, but many student-grade instruments are heat-pressed to create the curvature of top and back). Better mandolins generally have maple rather than mahogany for back and sides, but solid mahogany's acceptable for sure.
So, for the price, a decent beginner instrument. The most crucial variable for you is to have it properly set up; if the dealer is experienced in mandolin set-ups and includes a dealer set-up in the price, that's good. If you have to pay extra for a set-up (bridge height and location, nut slotting, bridge fit, possible truss rod adjustment, new strings, etc.), or learn to do it yourself, that's not quite as good.
Nothing in what you describe to warn you away from this mandolin. You are correct that mandolins are more expensive than their "equivalent" guitars, mainly due to economies of scale, and the somewhat higher requirements for hand-work associated with mandolins. This Alabama seems to be within the price parameters of entry-level, acceptable-quality mandolins.
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