Better commuting bike and why?

Would like to hear your preferences.

This is my situation:

I am new to biking. I have a single speed. I'm not in shape and I'm finding the hills to be a bit more challenging than I would like. Part of me wants to tough it out and get in shape and make it easy. But I'm considering other options.

One option is to convert my bike to a 3 speed. I think that the 3 gears would be plenty for my need: simplicity, but a variation for hilly areas.

I am leaning against going with a 10+ speed. The whole gear system just seems like it is tougher to maintain and a bit overkill for somebody in my situation.

Are the 3 speeds easy to maintain? How do I go about finding the 3 speed hub/wheel? All the "wheel builders" think they deserve more for their effort than my attorney or accountant costs. When I look for some online, most of the 3 speed wheels have coaster brakes (not what I am looking for). Any ideas where I can find that type of wheel for a reasonable cost?