Classical Guitars for Beginners

One of the first things you want to know before you buy a guitar is whether it has a solid top or a laminated top. (The "top" is the face of the guitar, the surface that has the soundhole in it.) Solid top guitars are the only choice for the best guitars, but a laminated top can be sufficient for beginners. If you do buy a laminated top guitar, you shouldn't pay much over $100 for it, since adequate used solid tops can be found for $150. New solid top guitars start near $200.

Try to get help from an experienced guitarist, maybe a friend or your teacher. An experienced guitarist will be able to check the guitar for:

Playability: making sure the strings are the right distance from the fingerboard, the neck is not warped, the frets are ok, and the guitar is balanced.
Intonation: that it plays in tune.
Tone: that it makes a good sound.
Structural integrity: that it's not coming apart at the seams!

If you want to take the chance of ordering a classical guitar online, I've had good luck recommending Yamaha guitars to beginners. Yamaha makes reliable student guitars at reasonable prices. Here's a link to a Yamaha solid top classical guitar from Amazon.

Finally, get a case for the guitar. Hardshell classical guitar cases start at around $100. Softshell cases (cardboard) are less expensive, but provide little more than scratch protection. If you buy a solid top guitar, be sure to buy a hardshell case.