Reverb G2 is under $500 dollars and goes on sale for as low as $300 on occasion. If you do go VR which I suggest, you won’t be able to go back. 2d flat panels look archaic after you’re sitting in a real cockpit in full 3d. It’s very much worth the cost and does help immerse you in the simulation. Especially compared to a home built cockpit. Not even same ballpark.
Only thing really missing is gravity. Flying patterns feels very much like real world. Again, minus the gravity/inertia