It also depends on your definition of low-magic, as well.
For my part, I generally run things fairly low-magic, world-wise, but the PC's, as they should be, are the exception, so not only tend to have the standard gold amount that a PC of their level should have in magic items, but a bit more.
The point is that there's no such things as magic item shops, generic NPC's nearly never exceed 5th level, the town priest might have a Wisdom of all of 10-12 or just be a straight out Aristocrat or Expert, and so on and so on. My worlds generally run with the idea that the plot and the PC's tend to be the exception from the norm - thus, essentially a low-magic world, but as the PC's are the heroes, the protaganists, the stars, they see and find wonders, delights and horrors the like of which most folk never even hear in a secondhand story. I've never been too fond of entire worlds that run off the basis that there are adventuring parties and magic to keep them in check. As many folk have pointed out, when you throw in the magic and high-level factor, a lot of conventional real world logic breaks down. Yet that conventional real world logic is often enough applied anyway. I keep the idea of keeps, boat travel, pikemen and other forms of real world conventions that don't necessarily work when mixed with magic and high-level characters by making the magic and high-level characters the exceptions, not the rule.
Low-magic world, medium to high magic PCs. So there's still plenty of motivation.
Clear enough, I hope?
