You can use granite tile to effectively lower the material cost of countertop installation.
Find a good tile contractor that can install 24" or two rows of 12" granite tile in the color of choice and use a custom cut edge profile in the same granite.
Here's a granite tile countertop with a full bullnose edge profile, called a prescott:
The backsplash in the picture is a slate tile with custom pattern using a listello border.