The average rental rate for a studio apartment in Manhattan has skyrocketed to $1,995 a month, up 23 percent from $1,659 in 2002. That means you’re paying nearly $24,000 a year to eat, bath, pee and sleep in a single room. Last Friday, a Manhattan rental brokerage firm, Citi Habitats, released an analysis of 50,000 deals it closed from 2002 to 2006. Findings for last year included that the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment increased 23 percent to $2,737, compared to $2,227 in 2002; a two-bedroom rose 32 percent from $3,198 to $3,893; and a three-bedroom shot up 36 percent from $4,059 to $5,534. Soho is apparently the city’s most expensive rental area for a studio ($2,228 a month on average), a two-bedroom ($4,750) and a three-bedroom apartment ($6,971); while the West Village is most expensive for a one-bedroom with an average of $3,035 a month. The spike coincides with Manhattan’s overall rental vacancy rate, which was less than one percent last year, declining from 2.62 percent in 2002. And while buying may still be a good investment, it’s harder than ever if a recent sale at the revamped Plaza Hotel is any indication. The New York Observer reports that a multi-apartment spread went for $51,539,180, making it the first unit in New York City to exceed the $50 million mark. But forget the Plaza, the average New Yorker must be making a minimum of $48,000 a year if you do the math—or Mommy Dearest signs their rent checks.