Rent Split Calculator for Roommates: By Room Size or Income
Enter the rent and your roommates, pick a method, and see each person’s share to the cent. This roommate rent split calculator is free, needs no sign-up, and nothing leaves your browser.
What’s the rent, and how should you split it?
How do you split rent between roommates?
Pick one of three rules. Split it equally; split it based on room size, where each person pays rent × their bedroom’s share of all bedroom space; or split it based on income, where each person pays rent × their share of total income. For $2,400 and bedrooms of 200, 150 and 100 sq ft, that is $1,066.67, $800 and $533.33.
How to split rent equally
Divide the total rent by the number of people. $2,400 between three roommates is $800 each. An equal split works best when the bedrooms are similar and everyone earns about the same.
How to split rent based on room size
Add up the size of every bedroom (sq ft or m², as long as every room uses the same unit). Each roommate pays rent × (their bedroom size ÷ all bedrooms added up). To count shared space, divide the living room and kitchen equally between everyone and add each slice to their room first.
| Roommate | Bedroom | Share | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | 200 sq ft | 44.4% | $1,066.67 |
| Sam | 150 sq ft | 33.3% | $800.00 |
| Jo | 100 sq ft | 22.2% | $533.33 |
Percentages are rounded. Add 300 sq ft of shared living space and each person gets 100 sq ft of it, so the rooms count as 300, 250 and 200. The split becomes $960, $800 and $640: the big room still pays the most, but the gap narrows.
How to split rent based on income
Add up everyone’s monthly income. Each roommate pays rent × (their income ÷ total income), so everyone spends the same percentage of their pay on rent. With $2,400 rent and incomes of $6,000, $3,000 and $3,000, the shares are $1,200, $600 and $600: 20% of each person’s income.
It matters because rent takes a big bite: in 2023, nearly half (49.7%) of US renter households spent more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the US Census Bureau. When one roommate earns much less, an income split keeps everyone at the same share of their pay.
How to split rent when a couple shares a room
There are two common ways. Per room: split the rent between bedrooms first, then the couple divides their room’s share. Per person: split the rent equally by head count, so the couple pays two shares. With $2,400, a 150 sq ft room for a couple and a 100 sq ft room for one person, per room gives the couple $1,440 ($720 each) and the single roommate $960. Per person gives the couple $1,600 and the single roommate $800.
Choosing a rule, and the extras
Use equal when rooms and incomes are similar, room size when the rooms differ a lot, and income when what you earn differs a lot. For a parking spot, balcony or walk-in closet, use “pays more / less” to add a set amount; the rest of the rent is split as usual. Shares are rounded to the cent, and any leftover cents go to whoever was rounded down the most, so the amounts always add up to the full rent. For worked examples and how to choose, read how to split rent with roommates .
Why I built this
I ran into this with my own roommates: the bedrooms weren’t the same size, and splitting the rent evenly didn’t feel fair to anyone. I wrote this calculator to settle it, the people I shared it with kept using it, so I made it free for everyone.
Splitting more than rent?
I built Splitceipt for the rest of living together. Keep rent, utilities and groceries in one roommate group, scan receipts item by item, and see who owes whom. Free on iOS and Android.
Frequently asked questions
How do you split rent based on room size?
Add up the square footage of every bedroom. Each roommate pays the total rent multiplied by their room’s size divided by that total. For $2,400 rent and rooms of 200, 150 and 100 sq ft, the shares are $1,066.67, $800.00 and $533.33. To count shared space, divide the living room and kitchen equally between everyone and add each person’s slice to their room size before you split.
How do you split rent based on income?
Add up everyone’s monthly income. Each roommate pays the total rent multiplied by their income divided by that total, so everyone pays the same percentage of what they earn. With $2,400 rent and incomes of $6,000, $3,000 and $3,000, the shares are $1,200, $600 and $600, which is 20% of each person’s income.
How do you split rent when two people share a room?
Split the rent between the bedrooms first, then divide the shared bedroom’s share between the two people in it. With $2,400 rent, a 150 sq ft room shared by a couple and a 100 sq ft room for one person, the rooms pay $1,440 and $960, so each person in the couple pays $720. Splitting per person instead gives everyone $800, so the couple pays $1,600. In the calculator, add each bedroom and use “+ Person” to put both names in the shared one.
Should utilities be split the same way as rent?
Usually not. Utilities and internet are used about equally by each person, so most roommates split them evenly per person even when rent is split by room size. For example, $150 of bills between three people is $50 each, on top of rent. The calculator adds bills to the rent and splits them per person.
What is the fairest way to split rent between roommates?
There is no single fair rule. Splitting by room size suits rooms that differ a lot, splitting by income suits roommates who earn very different amounts, and an equal split suits similar rooms and similar earnings. Pick the rule before anyone signs the lease.
How does the calculator treat a private bathroom?
Ticking “Private bath” counts that room as 15% bigger when splitting by room size. That figure is an assumption, not a rule. If you see it differently, leave it unticked and use the “pays more / less” field to enter your own amount.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs in your browser. “Copy link” puts your inputs inside the link itself, after the # sign, which browsers never send to a server. Anyone with the link can read what you entered, so share it only with your roommates.
Last updated by Hamza, who built Splitceipt.