Manhattan:
Shared Apt:
600 - 800/room (Upper West. Near Columbia)
Other area in Manhattan: 800 up, many exceed 1000/room
Studio:
800 - 1200/month in Upper west area, but extremely small. (you can go to "Greystone" at the corner of 91th and Broadway to ask. many taiwanese students live there)
for a good size studio, you should expect to pay well more than 1500/month.
new ones, like the one on the corner of 26th and 6 Ave, are rented at at least 2200/month for a studio.
Queens:
Along Queens Blvd in Elmhurst, Rego Park and Forrest Hills. 500 - 800/room, according to condition and neighborhood. studio should be around 800 - 1200/month.
my best suggestion to you is log on to forums.nyu.edu , then type "osa-tsa" at the search box to search for Taiwanese Student Association (TSA), then follow the steps to join TSA. you will receive many info posted by students regarding apartment rental...