Probably depends where but everywhere I have been, just walking into a small hotel and doing a deal with the owner was almost always cheaper than any airbnb aro

Probably depends where but everywhere I have been, just walking into a small hotel and doing a deal with the owner was almost always cheaper than any airbnb around given similar quality/size (and includes breakfast usually and of course cleaning daily; in Thailand they even threw in laundry once a week). And yes, indeed talk with locals if no hotels: I stayed for cheap/free for months with locals who were just lonely.