It really depends on what you are doing. Gaming, productivity, video editing, 3d modeling etc....
If it is a machine for home with some productivity a R5 3600 is a great buy with 6 cores and 12 threads. For about a hundred bucks more you can go up to a 3700x with 8 cores and 12 threads.
Those would be great no compromise starting points for processors. There are many above them but the price rises sharply.