Depending on where you live, it might be worth checking those Wacom competitors that have sprung up in recent years. Brands like Huion, XP-PEN etc. have decent offerings in under $100/€100 range. I'd recommend you check reviews on Youtube for details on exact model. XP-PEN's pro-level Deco Line Drawing Tablet is nowadays well under $100. Actually, we have one ( Deco 01 V2 ) for my daughter.
But those things aside, I think the deciding factor is in my experience the draw area size - Some people are genuinely happy with a small tablet size, but some require bigger one. It might be a good idea to frame the actual draw area on paper and try to get a feel of the available area (if you can't test an actual model.)
