Right...

yes Lipton tea with milk :D can't survive without it.

thanks all! useful info. so I guess if I can find a room it will be about 600-900rmb per month, I think that would be better than paying for an entire apartment myself if I can find one. I'd be studying at a private school so probably can't use the dorms.

Sounds like food might be about 30-50yuan per day, but maybe I should try to learn to cook at home more. I like spicy food and I'm mostly vegetarian but I'm not very strict.

maybe it would be a good experience to learn to cook Chinese food....

Better bring your own Lipton. I don't like the taste of the Lipton they sell here, and it's expensive. As long as you have access to a kitchen, cooking is a great option. Another expense you might want to save up for is traveling. You're going to be awfully tempted to explore Yunnan and the rest of China once you're here.

Other posters advice is basically good. Of course it's easier to cook at home, but I don't worry about eating out and do so almost every night, usually in ordinary, cheap (RMB10-25) Chinese restaurants. I shop in nearby markets, which have just about everything and don't worry about it. Have been here doing this for 12 years, only rarely have minor stomach problems (maybe 3 times a year - they go away in 24 hour or so. Lots of spicy food, but you don't have to have spicey dishes. There are several Walmorts, several Carrefours and at least one Metro, but I never use them. Also several popular western cafe-restaurants in town that are popular, but they're a bit expensive - however, they're good places to hang out, drink beer & talk to foreign friends.
Leaving out tuition, school fees and rent, etc., you can live on 3000 rmb per month easily enough if you want to, or less if you stay home more often & cook at home.

finding a furnished 1 room apartment near the university or city center for less then 1000/month +utilities is really really rare.

me and my girlfriend live in an 80m2 apartment and pay 1600 +about 150 for utilities.

km.58 has a lot of scams gokunming is better, you might want to consider an agency although it costs more it is safer

apartments not counting university dorms usually ask for at least 3 months down + 1 month deposit more often its 6 months up front

Some private schools have dorms. I think Huayang Academy is one. You can also get a weeks study in Dali at no extra cost as a perk.

University canteens are subsidized and are cheap - you're supposed to be a student to use them, but there are ways around this, I'm told - almost never use them myself.

@darkone, I think the OP is looking for sharing an apartment, and renting just a room These do come up and are more likely to accept a short termer.

Ref. Tea
Lots of Liptons, Twinings, and other Indian teas on the market here.

What is Indian tea?