Just like buying car tires, you can get cheaper products, and they are not guaranteed to last as long. There are more factors to consider however than just roof shingle prices - typically the durability of the shingle from very cheapest to one grade better easily outweighs the marginally more expensive price. Beyond that, it starts to get a bit more complicated, because other factors begin to play a part in the overall price. Most of the time colors are not going to make a roof shingle cost more, but manufacturers will sometimes use color as a way to get a higher price for their "select" shingles.
More likely though, will be variations in styles, combined with an overall more durable shingle. At this point you have to consider the additional cost as compared with the increased value and good looks of the home.
Fortunately, labor for installing one shingle over another changes very little if at all, so the only cost increase you have to consider is the cost of materials.
You can make it easy on yourself by using a free pricing service like QualitySmith roofing to get several contractor quotes to compare with eachother. Because the contractor knows in advance he is competing with other top-notch local area roofers, everyone generally offers their best price in hopes of winning your business.
