Its important to note the air force number is something like unit budget divided by number of hours flown divided by number of planes, so its fairly realistic, but the specifically named manufacturer provided cost estimate is something like gas and oil and scheduled maint assuming nothing ever breaks and there's no enemy action and things wear out according to the blueprints.

Also it costs the same to feed a pilot of any aircraft, ditto ATC and commo guys and all the rear echelon folks, although none of those costs were included in the mfgrs estimate.

No matter how badly the numbers are fudged its probably still one order of magnitude cheaper, perhaps a little more.

The numbers I can find for operating JAS Gripen is roughly $4700, so there are some modern planes that are only one magnitude cheaper. However, many tend to not prioritize operating costs very high.

The Gripen is specifically designed for cost effectiveness. If you want a modern jet fighter with the most bang for your buck, the Gripen is the most obvious choice. If money is not an issue, there are plenty of better jets available.