When deciding what kind of hamster is best for you its important to think about what you would like to get out of a relationship with your ham. I would suggest for a first time hamster owner to get a Syrian hamster, as they are larger, cuddlier and easy to handle.
The dwarf species are all generally a bit more rowdy and swift when being handled. They are also communal meaning they need a cage mate or two to live with in the same cage. Dwarfs aren’t as tame and cuddly as their larger Syrian cousins.
Syrians are very prone to a problem called wet tails which is almost always fatal. And its most commonly found in hamsters purchase from pet stores since the breeding is usually more about quantity then quality. So in this case it may be best to look for a breeder in your area, or another good place to look it in your local animal shelters, you might be surprised to see how many homeless hams end up in shelters. If they are adults then they are probably less likely to catch wet tail.
There are many kind of cages out there, I prefer aquariums or bin cages. Please take the time to read up some of the information on the Hamster Central Website. There is information about all the species of hamsters available on the markets as well as care, feeding, cages ailments and helpful articles.
Here are some HC links to get you started..
About Syrians
http://www.hamstercentral.com/syrianhamsters.htm
About Caging http://www.hamstercentral.com/hamsterhome.htm
About Making Bin Cages http://www.hamstercentral.com/generalarticles.htm
Other Helpfull Articles http://www.hamstercentral.com/healtharticles.htm
Hamster Care http://www.hamstercentral.com/hamstercare.htm
And there is so much more on Hamster Central to brows throught.
Hamsters are fairly inexpensive; you just need to first purchase all the other pricey things up front which are cage accessories, a cage, food and a hamster. I don’t think you would spend more then 20 bucks a month on a single hamster, One bag of food lasts a while, an extra would be treats and other cage accessories you want to buy :P
You can save a load of money buy making a custom bin cage, which are usually larger and lighter, there are so many advantages to them.
Of course you need to keep vet bills in mind. All animals should have the right to be treated by a vet if sick, no matter how large or small, So if its your parents paying for the expenses you need to sit down with them and make sure that they are in fact willing to take on the responsibility of owning the hamster themselves and are willing to spend some money on a vet bill if need be. If you are paying them make sure you can afford a vet bill or put a saving fund aside just incase.