Suggestions? (Colombo)

Looking for suggestions for a safe place to rent a home (or apartment?) for a single woman with a young child. I'll be going back and forth to visit my husband in Qatar but we want to settle in as expats in SL ahead of him coming.

Colombo? Galle? are there international English speaking pre-schools/elementary schools nearby? markets? shopping? How much would I expect to pay in rent? Need a car or is public transport working well?

ANY advice would be a big help.....thanks in advance :))))