Во-вторых, этот вариант дешевле.

Во-вторых means secondly or in the second place.

It is used to organize points in an argument or explanation:

• Во-первых — firstly
• Во-вторых — secondly
• В-третьих — thirdly

So in this sentence, the speaker is giving a second reason:

• Во-вторых, этот вариант дешевле. — Secondly, this option is cheaper.

This word is very common in formal or structured speech.

There is a comma because Во-вторых is an introductory word or phrase used to structure discourse.

It works like English secondly, so Russian normally separates it with a comma:

• Во-вторых, этот вариант дешевле.

The comma shows a pause and marks the transition to the next point.

Because вариант is a masculine noun, and the demonstrative this must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

Here are the forms of this in the nominative singular:

• этот — masculine
• эта — feminine
• это — neuter

Since вариант is masculine, you say:

• этот вариант — this option

You would use это with a neuter noun, for example:

• это письмо — this letter

Also, это can sometimes mean this is..., but that is a different structure.

It is in the nominative case.

That is because этот вариант is the subject of the sentence:

• Этот вариант дешевле. — This option is cheaper.

In simple equational or descriptive sentences like this, the thing being described usually stays in the nominative.

Because дешевле is the comparative form of cheap: cheaper.

Compare:

• дешёвый — cheap
• дешевле — cheaper

So:

• Этот вариант дешёвый. — This option is cheap.
• Этот вариант дешевле. — This option is cheaper.

The sentence is making a comparison, so Russian uses the comparative form.

Дешевле is an irregular-looking comparative form built from дешёвый.

A few useful things to notice:

• Dictionary form: дешёвый
• Comparative: дешевле

The ё often changes in related forms, and the comparative ending -ле / -ее / -ше is common in Russian comparatives.

Other examples:

• быстрый → быстрее — fast → faster
• дорогой → дороже — expensive → more expensive
• дешёвый → дешевле — cheap → cheaper

This is a form you should memorize as a vocabulary item.

Yes. Russian often leaves the comparison target unstated if it is clear from context.

So Этот вариант дешевле means:

• This option is cheaper
• or more fully, This option is cheaper than the other one / than the previous one / than that one

If you want to state the comparison explicitly, Russian can do that too, for example:

• Этот вариант дешевле, чем тот. — This option is cheaper than that one.

In your sentence, the speaker simply does not need to repeat the other option.

Yes, but дешевле is the more natural and common choice here.

Russian has two main ways to make comparatives:

1. Simple comparative

   • дешевле — cheaper

2. Compound comparative

   • более дешёвый — more cheap / cheaper

In everyday speech, the simple form is usually preferred when it exists:

• Этот вариант дешевле. — natural
• Этот вариант более дешёвый. — possible, but less natural here

The более + adjective pattern is more common when no simple comparative is available or in more formal styles.

Because in the present tense, Russian usually omits the verb to be.

So:

• Этот вариант дешевле.

literally looks like:

• This option cheaper.

But it naturally means:

• This option is cheaper.

This is normal Russian grammar. In the present tense, есть is usually not used as the equivalent of English is in sentences like this.

Both can sometimes mean option, but вариант is much more common in general Russian.

• вариант = option, variant, possibility, choice
• опция = option, but often more technical or specialized, such as in menus, settings, software, or product features

So in a sentence like this, этот вариант sounds very natural:

• Этот вариант дешевле. — This option is cheaper.

The neutral word order is exactly what you see:

• Во-вторых, этот вариант дешевле.

But Russian word order is flexible, and changing it can shift emphasis.

For example:

• Этот вариант дешевле. — neutral statement
• Дешевле этот вариант. — marked, unusual, more stylistic or contrastive
• Во-вторых, дешевле этот вариант. — also possible in special contexts, but less neutral

For learners, the given order is the best one to use.

The stress is on the second syllable of вторых:

• во-вторы́х

A rough guide:

• во = like va in unstressed position
• вторы́х = fta-RYKH (very approximate)

Two pronunciation notes:

1. Russian unstressed о is reduced, so во does not sound like a strong English voh.
2. The final х is pronounced like a breathy sound, similar to the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach, not like English h or k.

This is part of a fixed adverbial pattern used for ordering points:

• во-первых
• во-вторых
• в-третьих

These expressions come historically from ordinal numerals in a special form, but for learners it is best to memorize them as set phrases meaning:

• во-первых — firstly
• во-вторых — secondly
• в-третьих — thirdly

You generally do not need to analyze the ending each time; just learn the whole expression.

Not exactly. That translation can help you understand the logic, but it is not the literal function in English.

Во-вторых is better translated as:

• secondly
• in the second place
• for one more thing (depending on context)

So:

• Во-вторых, этот вариант дешевле. is most naturally:
• Secondly, this option is cheaper.

It introduces a second argument, not necessarily a separate thing in a literal sense.