Is the iPhone 5s worth it?
With the proliferation of low cost, high function android phones, in your opinion, is it still worth paying the premium for an apple product?
In a similar vein, yes you could do similar things on a $500 Lenovo laptop compared to a $3000 Retina Macbook Pro; driving a Tata Nano or Honda Civic will get you to your destination just as fast (within reason) as a nicer car. Buying the cheapest food possible will get you calories just like more expensive food... the list goes on and on with other things (clothes, coffee/tea/wine, jewelry, etc).
So ask yourself: what did Apple value when they designed and manufactured the iPhone 5s, which are different than the values used to produce competing products? If those values are similar to your values, then it's worth every penny.