3D animation is definitely a lot easier/cheaper than 2D, and probably a lot cheaper than live action. Making a good looking 3D character is harder than drawing a frame in a cartoon, but once you have it, animation is much easier, since you don’t have to make a new model for each frame. I assume it’s also easier to make effects for 3D than live action, since they’re stylized and don’t have to look lifelike, which is the goal of most CGI in live action media