On average there’s no discernable difference between the amount you’ll spend on HOA fees (in the case of a condo) and the amount you’ll spend on a house’s (1) incremental homeowner’s insurance, and (2) maintenance and upkeep (remember, someone’s gotta pay to re-paint, re-roof, maintain the yard, etc. for that house). Also, as mentioned previously, you get some – albeit varying – benefit from HOA fees in the form of amenities, such as a gym, pool, etc. At the end of the day, net/net, on average, it’s a wash unless the HOAs are just eggregious and you’ll never use any of the amenities.
