According to the Wikipedia article on CubeSats, a basic CubeSat could be constructed for about \$50,000 and launched for another \$100,000. And you'll probably have a 2W transmitter that you'll have to communicate with on Earth. Beyond that it's all regulatory. That's specifically a CubeSat because it fits with other CubeSats into a standardized launcher, which is usually carried up as a secondary payload. That batch launching contributes to the low price.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubeSat#Costs
But you might get it launched for free through NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative if it helps to advance their work.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative
Then there are licensing issues.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/cubesat-launch-initiative-resources
Not cheap or easy, but still cheaper and easier than one might have thought.