db DOES have locals, i know. i lived there for over 6 years (and i'm married to a local). yes, there is a large percentage (compared to the rest of hk) that are expats, but that doesn't mean all from the uk. while in db, i met and was friends with people from over 40-50 different countries. there is no MTR station in Db, dbers don't want one (not that it'll ever happen as the population is only about 15-20,000. there IS an MTR line accessible from DB via Tung CHung or Sunny Bay (both of which have buses direct to/from DB).
I have good friends in db who have just moved into a new ground floor flat in a low-rise. they have a large-ish garden, by hk standards, 3 bedrooms, helper's room, new kitchen & bathrooms. they pay $40k/month. granted, it isn't a huge place, but it is lovely and comfortable for a family with a 3 & 5 yr old.
on the other hand, i live in sai kung country park. have a MUCH larger place: 5 bed, 4 bath, larger garden, 2 car parks.... we pay less than $17k/month. the trade-off is that we are in the "boonies" with very limited public transport and without the same community feel that we had in DB.
to be honest, if i could afford to have the space that i have now, in db, i'd move back in a heartbeat. that ain't gonna happen, so i'm happy where we are.
it really is about choices. you don't HAVE to spend $60k/month on housing if you don't want to. you CAN get a lovely place for 1/2 that and still have $ left over to buy a second-hand car to get you where you need to be. the choice is yours. none of us can decide for you what your top priorities are.