In the UK the base MK8 Golf starts at £23,300...& that gets you a 1lt TSI with 110PS, 6 speed manual gearbox & 5 doors...& sat nav pro with voice control, ACC, keyless, 10 colour interior lighting, LED headlights,..loads of standard kit...
EDIT, the options list contradicts the basic spec list...typical VWUK....so maybe you only get a basic headlights & standard key..
https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/new-golf.html#MOFA
I "built" a Golf 8 Lifestyle version with some 18's and a few random options including the IQ headlights. It came out to 35,427 USD.
A lot of people here in the States complain that we don't get the UK/European variants of the Golf and GTI's. If they are anywhere near the prices across the Atlantic...not sure how many would actually buy them at those prices. The GTI Clubsport (especially the S) and the TCR would both cost more than the Golf R. One option I really want is from the Clubsport...the Recaro seats.