By tile do you mean ceramic/porcelain tile, or vinyl composite tile (VCT) ?
Ceramic tile can be found for around $.60/sq ft (previously found at Home Depot) and porcelain around .$96/sq ft (previously found at Lowes), but then you will have to factor in thinset and grout, plus some tools.
VCT is possibly the cheapest/easiest out of the 3. I believe all you need is a clean, level slab and a certain type of adhesive and you just lay the tiles down.
Out of those three VCT may require the most upkeep (buffing/waxing periodically) and may be damaged before the others, but gives the quickest results.
What are you using the space for? If you are covering 1800 sq ft, even a $.25 difference is $450 in materials, so it will pay to shop around.
In my neck of the woods, they have wholesale stores that I've found Armstrong VCT tile at, which means I could get it at a real discount but if I ran out, I could just pick some up at HD ($.78/sq ft).
Discount tile would be sweet but I'd want to get the whole 1800 sq ft plus some, or else run the risk of not finding the same tile later.
Those are my thoughts! Others, more wise and experienced than I, may be by soon to give theirs as well
