Looking for the best DSLR camera under $500 for travel photography.

Im honestly so fed up with my iPhone camera. Every time I try to take a decent landscape shot on trips it just looks washed out and grainy if the lighting isnt absolutely perfect and I am just ready to switch to a real camera before my trip to Japan next month. I have a hard budget of $500 because flights were so expensive.

So I was thinking about getting a cheap DSLR since people say they have better battery life than mirrorless which is huge for long days walking around Tokyo. My logic was that a used Nikon or Canon would give me actual optical zoom and better low light but honestly the options are overwhelming and im stuck.

I keep looking at the Rebel T7 or maybe a used D3500 but then people online say the autofocus is trash for fast street shots and now im just frustrated and confused. I just want something reliable that wont die mid-day and actually takes sharp photos without costing a fortune. What is the absolute best DSLR I can get under $500 that actually holds up for travel?