At the cheaper end of the scale, in terms of both quality and price, are dormitórios, small and very basic (to put it mildly) hostels, situated close to bus stations and in the poorer parts of town. They are extremely cheap (just a few dollars a night), and can be unsavoury and sometimes positively dangerous.
You could stay for not much more, in far better conditions, in a youth hostel, (albergue de juventude), also sometimes called a casa de estudante, where the cost per person is between US$5 and US$10 a night. There’s an extensive network of these hostels, and they are very well maintained, often in restored buildings.
It helps to have an IYHF card (youth hostel associations card) with a recent photograph - you’re not usually asked for one, but every so often you’ll find an albergue which refuses entry unless it’s produced. The Federação Brasileira dos Albergues de Juventude in Rio publishes an excellent illustrated guide to Brazil’s official hostels, and there’s a growing number of hostels that aren’t affiliated with the IYHF - many of which are very good.
Demand for places far outstrips supply at certain times of year - December to Carnaval, and July - but if you travel with a hammock you can often hook it up in a corridor or patio. A major advantage that hostels have is to throw you together with young Brazilians, the main users of the network.
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