We make ours at night right before bed. Using a very small amount of yeast, we let it ferment/rise for 12 or so hours and then knock it down and rise for 2-3 more hours and into the oven.
From my calculations, it tripled to cost of a loaf (which granted wasn't overly expensive). I really have no reason to do it any quicker though since I know when I'm about to run out of bread/bagels.
The dry active yeast I use is just what I get from costco for very cheap. Lately I've got a good sourdough start going on (just got some from the local bakery and have kept it going). It's a bit more finicky in how long you can let it rise for, but I like the taste better.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread