When I was in Viet Nam 40years ago, I carried around an ugly acoustic guitar that I bought in country. It had no name on it at all. It was hard to keep in tune and I couldn't get strings for it in country, but it served its purpose. I got a lot of pleasure from that old $7 piece of junk and the guys really enjoyed me playing it. I gave that guitar to one of the newbees when I came home.

My point is, what do you intend to do with the guitar. If you are carrying it around in the boonies, I wouldn't pay much. If you have a secure place to store it and can keep it dry and away from the humidity then you may want to pay 2 or 3 hundred dollars. Until you get home, I wouldn't buy a 2 or 3 thousand dollar guitar. If you are playing with others and maybe doing some recording a $200 guitar should work out fine. With an acoustic guitar you have to remember to store it properly when not in use. Dampness and humidity will destroy the finish and tone. I never purchased a guitar based solely on its looks. I go by how it sounds first then how it looks. All acoustic guitars sound different. A Martin has a more deep and mellow sound were a Taylor has a sharper sound. Plus, one Martin may sound difference from another. There are a lot of good $200 guitars out there, but I would try out as many as possible and find the tone you are looking for. I wouldn't buy a guitar online or out of a catalog, but in your situation, you may not have a choice.

Good luck and I hope I didn't discourage or confuse you too much.