The best way to learn about the locals? Get hungry at 3am, find the only spot open, eat, and hang around for a bit as you digest. What you learn will never be written in any book.
Learning 10-20 words in the local language can be the single pivot point between a horrible and an exceptional travel experience.
When you travel anywhere, you're entering someone else's home; don't ever lose that frame of mind.
Paying a small premium for a hotel in a new city can pay back in ways far more valuable than the additional cost.