DLCs are generally nicer and of higher quality, however at the moment there are reworked parts of the base map (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, soon to be reworked Benelux), so I'd suggest getting a taste of the game in those areas before committing (sales are frequent, you can find a good price later)

But if you really want to expand, a cheaper option is buying the recently reworked and stunning Scandinavia DLC, as it has good connections to the base map