I got the 003R sent form the USA (much cheaper than it was here) about 2 years ago, don't remember what I paid cause I sold my old 001 at the same time.
Pro Tools LE won't work without Digidesign hardware and Pro Tools M Powered required selected M Audio hardware. Probably the cheapest option would be finding a second hand M Audio Audiophile 24/96 or 192.
Connecting a synth to the computer is simple too, for data you connect it via MIDI either to your sound card or USB. If you're going to go the Pro Tools route, try to stay away from the USB interfaced devices. Firewire devices are much more stable/reliable for use with digi hardware or any ASIO compatible hardware.