I'd say average apartments here in Miami are anywhere from $700-1500. They're obviously more expensive as you shift to nicer parts of town and/or closer to the ocean.
1 bedroom apartments very close to Barry are roughly $700-1000, typically depending on the what utilities are covered, building age, amenities, etc. Here's Barry's off-campus housing database from the department I work for:
http://doitapps.barry.edu/offcampushousing/default.asp
^The university obviously can't regulate/guarantee these or check them all out for you, but they list them as a courtesy to commuter students, and you will typically find a fair number of Barry and other local college students at most of these places.
Many students here have a roommate or two so that they can get a 2 or 3 bedroom condo or house in a nicer location that they wouldn't be able to afford or want to pay for on their own.
Yes, Maimi costs a lot, esp near the ocean or South Beach, but for some people, it might be worth an extra $100 or $200 or even $500 per month in order to photograph the ocean and palm trees instead of cloudy skies and snow
