Thank you Thelonius, Paj for your feedback. Much appreciated.
@ Thelonius: My company provides a decent housing allowance but do not want the hassle of managing housing for staff in a geography where they have limited presence.
@Paj: Checking out those areas, and indeed they seem significantly cheaper. Trying to work out the numbers and get a sense of whether getting a taxi everyday is worth the effort, or just being able to walk to work is worth the extra rental cost.