[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by En Forcer:
And the priest being sacred is cheaper in terms of maintenace than scouts (over the long term) and typically they are sitting on a laboratory so the gems they make can be pooled.

Independent Priests cost 50 gold, so they have the same maintenance costs as a 25 gold unit. Scouts only cost 20 gold so they cost less over the long run. However, you do gain the benefits of a preacher in the particular province.