hostels priced per person or per bed?

Per person, almost always.

That's funny! Yes, per person.

Per person.

Also, hostels have dorm rooms that are seperated by sexes. Most also have some double rooms and family rooms available - but the price for those is often similar to other budget accomodations. It's worth checking your options rather than assuming hostels will be the best deal.

Hostels vary greatly. Sometimes the "dorm" rooms are large halls with a dozen or more beds. More often they are regular size rooms with 4, 5, or 6 beds, usually bunks. Sometimes the rooms are single sex. Sometimes they are coed. Sometimes they will have a private double available, sometimes not. Any private room will be coed. Sometimes the price for that private room is roughly equal to a bargain room elsewhere in town. Sometimes it's still a bit cheaper. But you still have all the amenities that come with the hostel like lounge, washing facilities, cooking facilities, others your age to talk to, and management who likely speak english and know the answer to every tourist question you might have.

In all cases, you pay by the person, not the bed. There is no $ benefit to scrunching 2 on one skinny matress. Whatever other benefits there might be to scrunching, I can only imagine.....:-)