I would imagine a dining room table would be more expensive- it’s usually heavier, made from solid wood.
To answer your last question, the Torah is read from the Bima, and it does not have to be read by the Rabbi, but by any male over 13 who knows how to follow the musical intonations- he is called the Ba’al Korei. It can be a designated person, or can change each time, or can be a Bar MItzva boy. In shuls where the only learned person is the Rabbi, he would be the one doing the reading, by default.