Moving to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) - After COVID-19 plan

My name is Stanimir (Stan) and I am from Bulgaria.

I have a personal plan to move to the capital of Kerala - Trivandrum in order to stay there for a longer period (at least 1 year) when the COVID-19 pandemic will have finished and traveling between countries will be possible again.
I have been in India as a tourist in November - December 2017 but the southernmost place where I could go was Goa. Now I would like to move to Trivandrum in order to live there.
If there are other expats in Trivandrum, I would like to ask them some questions about the life and accomodation there:

1. I run own business on internet, therefore for me it will not be necessary to find a job. I will be able to work from home only by using internet. Therefore, the only possibility to get a visa is to get a tourist one. My question is how is it possibile to get a long term stay permission there?  How could I arrive with a tourist visa to Trivandrum and extend it once there for at least 1 year? At the Indian Embassy in Bulgaria they told me it wasn't possible but I guess they just wanted to dissuade me from my decision and for that reason they used to tell me bullshits.

2. How hard/easy is to find a decent flat to rent there? Are there reliable sites where I could find good rent offers? I look for something in the middle - not quite luxury but not ratty in a normal area - neither in slums nor in the very expensive neighbourhoods. What are the prices of the flats there in general?

3. Is Trivandrum a safe city or there is criminality as it is in Noida, Patna etc? How people are there - are they friendly to expats or not? What kind of every day problems should I expect? Are there entertainment facilities - cinemas, restaurants, libraries?

4. How much has the monthly budget one to be able to have a normal life in Trivandrum as of April - May 2020? It includes: the rent for a decent home, electricity, water and home internet, going out sometimes etc.

5. Any other advice or remark will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance to all for your help. See (soon maybe...) you in Trivandrum.