May I ask what stage of life you are currently in? I don't mean this in a condescending way, I'm just a college student who got her birds in middle and high school and it is incredibly hard to ensure they are cared for now with the uncertainty of life and not knowing where you might be next.
My advice to you would be to interact with different species. If at all possible, visit a rescue. You need to see the ugly of every species and decide if that is something you could still live with, as parrots are not domesticated animals and you don't really know what you're getting with a bird until it has settled into your home and the honeymoon phase has passed. Rescues are also great places as many have tons of different species to interact with and a multitude of personalities to go with it. Some may be friendly and some may hate humans, but it is good to see both sides of it and understand why so many parrots end up in rescues in the first place.
Sometimes a bird will also pick you and it might be a species you never thought of!
I have two birds, a green cheeked conure and a severe macaw, but through volunteering at my local rescue I was able to gain experience with a lot of different species and learn even more about living with parrots and their care.
Even if a species is generally quiet, there is no guarantee an individual bird will be quiet. I have a green cheek conure, many of which are not too loud, and he is louder than my severe macaw. The macaw has the potential to be louder, but Grumbles (the green cheek) makes a lot more noise. He screams quite often and has picked up blue jay yells from outside. He even has a high pitched puppy bark for when he is really feeling ignored. Even when he isn't yelling he likes to chatter to himself with clicks and kisses and mumbo jumbo demon noises lol. I love him to death but he is NOT a quiet bird despite his size.
Destruction... well that's a tough one because all parrots are going to be destructive. Conures love to play and chew, and when not supervised or given proper toys to chew on they will find something else to destroy. Bookcases, trim, furniture, books, paper, you name it and it will probably have bite marks. Yes, smaller birds are going to be naturally less destructive than the big beaks but they definitely still chew and leave their mark. I am a lot more careful with my macaw as she could very quickly cause a lot of damage but Grumbles has caused plenty of destruction even though he is not a big bird.. one second unsupervised and he is off to destruction.
Getting along with friends and family: this one also isn't promised... as a baby Grumbles got along with everyone. He was a really good boy and would step up nicely and let anyone pet him. Now he has definitely chosen his person and he will attack others who get too close to that person in his opinion. If that person isn't around he will be relatively friendly towards others that he knows but will bite fingers given the opportunity and is much less hands on. With that person he is very clingy but with everyone else he kinda just wants to be around you but not on you/being touched. I have one friend who he will tolerate, and even she gets bit by him still. Anyone else who I'm not confident he will be friendly to either can talk to him through the cage or give him treats through the cage or while he is on me. He is not a stranger friendly bird for the most part and bites very hard to show that. My severe macaw, Levi, is very choosy with people. This is typical for her species but she either likes you or hates you and there is no in-between. While she loves me and will be nice to my dad and brother (they think she's cool but are a little scared of her), my mom cannot even feed her as she will lunge as my mom changes the food/water bowls. My mom never did anything to her, Levi just decided she didn't like her. Levi is a rescue so I'm not sure how she was a baby/adolescent but I do know she lived with an elderly couple before coming to the rescue/me. I also am very careful with who I let interact with her as the one time I was bit by Levi through a fleece jacket it left a scar I still have today. Obviously I don't want anyone else getting bit for no reason so only people who she knows and likes/who I am confident with her being around are able to touch and/or handle her.
Inexpensive is also not something predictable. While smaller birds will certainly be cheaper than large birds in terms of both initial and upkeep costs, a single unexpected vet bill could set you back thousands. Pet insurance or having savings specifically for this is a great idea. What I did when I first got Grumbles was made a list of every single thing he would need to start out and the costs, plus some things I would have to buy before too long such as more food or toys. It adds up to a lot but there are ways to keep the costs lower such as making your own toys and waiting for sales to stock up on things.
Let me end this with: I love my parrots. They can both be buttfaces or they can be sweethearts but either way I love them. There are days when I get frustrated with them, with the noise and the mess and the need for attention; but at the end of the day I chose to live with them and it is my responsibility to take care of them for the rest of their lives. My birds are like my children, and with their life spans they will essentially be living with me until I would have grown up children. Grumbles is my heart bird and he chose me. He might bite me sometimes but I would take many more conures if I could, they are so cute and think that they're 10 feet tall. While I can't say I would love many more severe macaws, I do love Levi and she is a wonderful bird for me. Someday when I have a more stable housing situation I hope to expand my flock and while I'm not sure the species I do know that at the end of the day my birds are my happy place. Parrots aren't just a hobby.. they're a way of life and I am completely happy with that.
If you have absolutely any more specific questions, please ask me here or pm me! I would love to help you out and as someone who also was unsure of which bird to get when first starting out I would be happy to share my experiences. I hope none of this sounded too depressing or aggressive, it simply is the truth and I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that. Parrots are wonderful to share our lives with even though they are terrible pets and I'm happy to see you here on Avian Avenue to start your adventure.
