Given in the question that the amount spend each year is constant, thus average cost is the harmonic mean of each price.
\(3 ÷ (\frac{1}{7.5} + \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{8.6})\)
= \(3 ÷ (\frac{2}{15} + \frac{1}{8} + \frac{2}{17})\)
\(\)= \(3 ÷ (\frac{272 + 255 + 240}{2040})\)
= \(3 \times \frac{2040}{767}\) = 7.98
The correct option is (C):7.98