Being at the end of the Chinese Wall, Jiayuguan is a big (Chinese) tourist destination and therefore expensive. I asked around but people kept sending me to expensive hotels saying there were no cheap options - I knew there was because normal Chinese people also need a place to stay. This time however, I needed a "foreigner approved" place as I knew the police would check as part of my visa extension. Finally after an hour, some kind women in a small supermarket helped my out and I somehow ended up in a 3-star hotel for USD 7 per night instead of the normal USD 23....