Is finding a 1BHK/2BHK for ₹15–25k as a single working woman even realistic anymore?

Hi everyone, I’m relocating to kochi and trying to find a 1BHK or 2BHK in the ₹15–25k range, but every option I come across is way over budget.

On top of that, being a single working woman seems to make things harder some owners hesitate to rent to single women, and brokers lose interest the moment I mention my budget. Apparently anything under ₹35k isn’t worth their time.

So my questions:

Is ₹15–25k actually doable, and if so, which areas should I look at?
Any tips for finding owner-direct listings and skipping brokers entirely? (they ask for half the rent as fees, and there’s insane amount of deposit, they’d ask for 3-4 months which would come up to 1 lakh or more)

Any leads, area suggestions, or even honest reality checks are appreciated. Thanks!