1 - get good studio monitors first cuz it doesnt do shit to have great stuff if you cant hear it well.
2 - Decide wether you'll be a sampled-based beatmaker or you will play your melodies and construct your track yourself
3 - If you decide to be sample based, i suggest you to buy 2 or 3 good sample cd so you'll have a lot of sound for 100-200$. And they are hi quality. dont bother buyin mpc's or stuff, shit you are just beggining. The trick here is to get a great sound but still keepin money to eat, nomsayin.lol.
4 - If you want to build your own melodies, buy a good controller, you can get one for around 150$ and get Propellerheads Reason or get any VST compatible software and some VST instruments. You'll have all it need to construct bangin tracks.
5 - Make your own discoveries, read a lot over the net, go so much in music shop they know the color of your socks, and remember one thing: ITS NOT THE EQUIPMENT BUT THE GUY SAT BEHIND THAT MAKE THE SOUND. I heard fuckin hot tracks made with a few samples and a cheap sequencer.
Now havin said that, good monitors (around 250$) and sample cds (200$) or controller (150-200$), it will cost you max 500$ to go one way or another. Trust me don't buy machines now, begin by gettin further in your new passion, then you'll see if you really like it, and maybe like me you'll get stick around PC production so you'll be happy to not have spent your money on useless machines.
Holla Ace