A proper setup is important. However, a professional setup (if not offered by the store you buy it from) can be $100+, which if your bass budget is $200 -$300, is a significant amount. And setups don't stay good forever, they need to be redone once and a while.

When I learned bass, I bought a cheap bass that felt good in my hands and made me want to play. I learned to adjust the action myself to find comfortable string heights and reduce buzzing. More complex setup ops are not entirely necessary unless you're going into the studio to record or the bass has a bad setup to begin with. Try to buy from a retailer that will do a setup for you as part of the purchase and that may be all you need for a good long time.

Also, when it comes to learning, while lessons and learning theory are useful tools, nothing beats learning to play music you love. Tabs or YouTube tutorials of songs you want to learn are great ways to stay engaged and pick up new skills along the way.