COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - what worked for you?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a procurement assistant. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 7 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.