There are many ways to pay for a UBI that avoid excessive spending or tradeoffs.
Bidadanure, 2017 - Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Stanford [Juliana, Interviewed by Vivan Malkani, Stanford Politics Understanding Universal Basic Income, March 17 https://stanfordpolitics.com/understanding-universal-basic-income-178032e6090f , TA]
These costs must be factored in when looking at the bigger picture of implementing UBI. But this only addresses one part of the problem. The bigger question you ask about how expansive basic income would be can only be answered if we start thinking of different ways to fund basic income. Personally I think the best way to move forward is with a variety of funding mechanisms. This could be progressive taxation, wealth taxes, taxes on financial transactions, consumption taxes and even carbon taxes and a divestment from the prison system; there are many ways to fund this that would not imply framing basic income as a tradeoff. Raising funds will rely on innovative ways to save and divert resources. I believe that basic income is a concrete way to move us towards a more just world with fewer inequalities. In that sense, basic income is often seen as the end, but it should also be viewed as the means to get to a more just tax system and society.