Would it possible to find an apartment and live in an integrating way or would I have to stick to hostels etc. I'm a bit hesitent of pure travelling in the back

Would it possible to find an apartment and live in an integrating way or would I have to stick to hostels etc. I'm a bit hesitent of pure travelling in the backpacking sense as I already know I'll get bored of meeting loads of people all the time while those relationships do never (?) go beyond a superficial lets-go-have-a-drink stage.