Hey you can can stay inside Auroville or in the main tourist town. You can download the MakeMyTrip App and look for accommodation as per your budget. They cover a wide variety of hotels and lodges. If you are looking at economical stays then will suggest to stay close to the Bus stands. The French colony and white town accomodation are a tad bit on the pricier side. You can also choose to stay inside Auroville for a different Pondicherry experience. You will have to write to the Auroville accommodation guys in order to get the availability and price, they have different grades of accommodation. Look here https://auroville.org/contents/2830