Border town economics are an underappreciated aspect of budget travel in regions with significant price differentials.

The classic example: the town of Poipet on the Cambodia-Thailand border. On the Thai side it's an unpleasant transport junction. On the Cambodian side it's a gateway casino town. Neither is worth staying in. But the bus connections from Poipet go directly to Bangkok (5 hours) and Siem Reap (3 hours) at prices that are cheaper than flying.

The Guatemalan-Mexican border crossing at Tecún Umán/Ciudad Hidalgo is worth understanding: most travelers cross by foot and take a chicken bus or shuttle on the other side. The border town has nothing to offer but the crossing is fast and cheap.

Border towns where accommodation matters: if you're crossing at an unusual hour or need to be at the border early, border town guesthouses are often extremely cheap. The Poipet guesthouse I used cost $6/night because their primary market is gamblers coming over from Thailand, not travelers. Similar dynamics exist at many borders where one side has a captive market.

The research question for any land crossing: what time does the border close, and if my transport arrives after that, what is the accommodation situation on each side? Being stranded at a border in the dark with no prior research is avoidable.