First, read this article. It'll save you some money by making the right choice the first time around.
I opted for a Gitzo/Really Right Stuff setup because, from what I've read, they make the best support equipment in the world. They're not cheap, but you'll be set for live.
It took me nearly three months to find a tripod that matches my criteria and my budget. I do urban exploration photography, among others things, and I needed my tripod to be as compact and light as possible. The carbon tripods are way out of my budget so I got the Gitzo Basalt GT2941.
It has four leg sections instead of three but that means it's able to fold down to 56 cm which work great when I'm crawling around old abandoned buildings. With the ballhead attached it weighs exactly 2 kg.
The ballhead is made by Really Right Stuff. RRS ballheads are considered to be the best in the bussines (and the most expensive ). a RRS ballhead would normally be out of my pricerange but I got a great deal from my local camerashop that I just couldn't ignore. Like with the tripod, I didn't get the top of the line ballhead which is the BH-55, instead I got the BH-40 which easily matches my criteria (and then some)
I paid €280 for the tripod on sale at a Dutch online retailer
I paid €161 for the RRS BH-40 ballhead at my local camera store (they have since brought the price up to €330)
I got the RRS B2-40 LR quick release clamp from the RRS online store for $105
And the plates to attach the camera/lens to the ballhead cost my around €55 each.
That's about €630. I shopped around for the same setup just last weeks to see if I could still get it for that price, but it would now set me back around €950.
I have to admit, I got a little carried away by spending that much mony on some stuff to keep my camera steady in dark environments. My initial budget was €500, but hey, you only live once right?