Will my cell phone plan with verizon be cheaper if I get the iPhone separately?

I plan on switching to Verizon soon, yet I will be on a budget since I'll also be living on my own for college. So my question is, can I open up an account with Verizon, buy a cheap phone with data and texting etc. On it, THEN buy a Verizon iPhone off of ebay? Also, how much would the monthly charge be if I was to buy an iPhone 5 with its plan at Verizon?

It will cost you more to get a plan with a cheap smart phone then buy a different smart phone (iphone) off of e-bay.

If you want to use a Iphone with Verizon you will have to get a smart phone plan. $40 for unlimited talk and text and a data plan.
$50 for 1GB of data
$60 for 2GB of data
$70 for 4GB of data
$80 for 6GB of data
$90 for 8GB of data

If you buy a cheap basic phone, you will only be able to use a basic phone with minutes and data package you choose. If you want to switch your service from a basic phone to a Iphone you will have to change your minutes package and data package from a basic phone to a smart phone.