I'm also helping a friend decide on setting up his living room.
what i suggested is go for 2.1 setup first then add additional speakers later on. If you settle for a budget set, for sure you will get the itch to upgrade and it would be more expensive. If you start with a mid end system, the itch wont be as much
here is what i suggested to him
Polk RTi A3 bookshelf 20k
SVS PB1000 sub 28k or SB1000
Onkyo 333 22k (636 if kaya pa)
Total 70k
2.1 setup is ok naman.. when i played him a video in stereo mode, my friend thought that the center speaker was working. he even got up from his chair to touch the cone to make sure it wasnt. A good left + right speaker will give you a Phantom center already.
My friend wanted the Polk RTi A5 floor standers like mine but since he is in an apartment I dont think he can maximize the speaker. He was also concerned with the SVS sub i suggested but i assured him na its better to have a good sub at low volume rather than a bad sub having to crank it up.
The speakers i suggested to him is based on what i use. I'm sure there are similar or better ones and priced differently. like others have said. audition other peoples setup so that you can decide for yourself