Prices for apartments, dormitories and hotels vary from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood. Like anywhere else, prices are related to quality and comfort. Size is one of the most important factors; a small one-bedroom apartment with a shared kitchen and bathroom is cheap, while an apartment with a large kitchen, living room and bathroom is much more expensive.

Here is a list of fees for on campus accommodation (dorms) in different major Chinese cities.

According to the universities' regulations, some students will be allowed to live off campus. If you prefer an apartment off-campus, the age of a building also influences the price. Older buildings are more likely to have broken appliances and tend to have poor insulation. Plumbing and other utilities are more likely to have problems in older buildings than newer ones.

And as most cities around the world, location is also a major factor: being closed to the center of town, a subway or major bus route will make an apartment more expensive than one with a less convenient location. To look for housing information, including share accommodation you should check local expatriates' websites or local housing websites.
>> Beijing : www.thebeijinger.com; www.cityweekend.com.cn
>> Shanghai : www.shanghaiexpat.com/; www.cityweekend.com.cn
>> National : www.58.com; www.ganji.com (Both in Chinese)

As to the detailed guide on how to rent an apartment or book on-campus room, you may want to browse Accommodation in China. >>>