It's not like all chrome is as sexy sleek as V or Rebecca.
There's one lore pickup that sticks with me. It's the "top employers" in Night City. The people who are employed by these 5 comprise the middle class.
Not being pedantic but also as you walk around look at the lifestyles of the charachters. River and Judy are successful legally employed people, and look at their home situation. Their houses and how much chrome they afford. Their weapons comprise of the very basics. How much tech do they have that wasn't illegally obtained or had their job pay it off? Judy works mosly with chrome as far as BDs go. River is ex-NCPD, and he only affords prosthetic arms that are reminiscent of Gorilla Arms but it doesn't have skin or look great - they're functional. In addition to a prosthetic eye that doesn't even try to be humanlike, like V's Kiroshi Optics.
The average citizen puts in an assload of work for their chrome and its hard to sustain yourself. I know they respawn but how many times do you just see Maelstrom on a sidewalk? How many out-and-about Valentinos? Most people can't afford the nice chrome, or healthcare (as shown by David's mom) and get by on their bills through theft or violence. Maelstrom chrome is a hack job. Rebecca funded all her work through being part of a successful criminal enterprise. Maine being the reason they even have the connection and payments with Faraday. Compare the Edgerunners chrome to the average Tyger Claw, and it's easier to see that they are the ideal gang, not the average.