For an expat of your calibre, it is best you rent a condo, even if it is a one bedroom unit. You can always request the landlord to provide you with a sofa bed in the living room so when your mum comes to visit, you can sleep on the sofa bed while your mum use the room. When colleagues ask where you stay and if it's a condo, you will gain more respect. Face is very important here. Moreover it is a lot safer to stay in a condo and you get to use the swimming pool and gym. You can also invite colleagues and friends over for BBQ. Life will so much better living in a condo. Just ask around your fellow expat friends. You just spend a bit more every month and it's a whole different lifestyle you get to enjoy. Condos next to MRT stations will be best as it takes you a short while to travel and allows you to have more sleep.