Plenty cheap boards out there with Cherry MX mechanical switches. A first board doesn't have to cost more than $100, maybe even towards $70 dollar range. Buy secondhand and you can go even lower.

Go for Cherry MX Switches. Want clicky (and loud) take blue. Want tactile go brown. Want no bump at all when typing go red.

I would find a cheap second hand board and see if you can appreciate the experience. It probably will not have lubed switches or may have a scratchy bump or hollow sound or whatever the hobbyist tell themselves to justify a new board. You probably will already be amazed by the quality improvement and won't care.