# Roommate budget template: monthly shared costs

Canonical URL: https://www.evenoutapp.com/templates/roommate-budget-template
Updated: 2026-10-06

A roommate budget lists every recurring shared cost for one month: the amount, the split rule, each person's share, the due date and who holds the account. Add a replacement fund row, total each person's column, and check that the shares equal the bills. In the 3-person example, the shared costs come to $2,839 a month.

Key points:
- List each recurring shared cost once with its amount, split rule, due date and account holder, then work out each person's share.
- Three formulas run the sheet: a sum of the amounts, a weight share for each person, and a check row that must read 0.
- In the example, rent of $2,500 split 4 to 3 to 3 plus $339 of equal-split costs gives monthly totals of $1,113, $863 and $863.
- This is the planned side of the money. The roommate expense tracker logs what was actually paid.

## How to use this template

Fill it in once at the start of the lease, then change an amount only when a bill changes. It works as the plan, and the [roommate expense tracker template](https://www.evenoutapp.com/templates/roommate-expense-tracker-template) logs what was actually paid.

1. **List every cost the household pays each month.** Rent, utilities, internet, shared subscriptions and household supplies.
2. **Give each cost a split rule.** Equal for most bills, by weight for rent when the rooms differ.
3. **Write the due date and the account holder.** The account holder pays the bill first and is repaid.
4. **Add a replacement fund row.**
5. **Work out each person's share,** total each column and run the check row.

### Example: three roommates

Say Ana, Ben and Cleo pay $2,500 in rent and split it 4 to 3 to 3 because Ana has the biggest room. Everything else is equal.

| Cost | Amount | Split rule | Due, held by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,500 | weights 4, 3, 3 | 1st, Ana |
| Electric | $108 | equal | 18th, Ben |
| Internet | $75 | equal | 5th, Cleo |
| Water and trash | $63 | equal | 22nd, Ana |
| Shared streaming plan | $18 | equal | 12th, Ben |
| Household supplies | $45 | equal | 28th, Cleo |
| Replacement fund | $30 | equal | 1st, Ben |
| Total | $2,839 | | |

| Cost | Ana | Ben | Cleo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent weight | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Equal weight | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rent | $1,000 | $750 | $750 |
| Electric | $36 | $36 | $36 |
| Internet | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Water and trash | $21 | $21 | $21 |
| Shared streaming plan | $6 | $6 | $6 |
| Household supplies | $15 | $15 | $15 |
| Replacement fund | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Monthly total | $1,113 | $863 | $863 |

The totals add up to $2,839, which matches the bills. Ana pays $250 more than the others for the larger room, and the $339 of equal-split costs is $113 each.

## The template

Write the amounts first, then each person's share.

### Monthly costs

| Cost | Amount | Split rule | Due, held by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | | | |
| Electric | | | |
| Gas | | | |
| Water and trash | | | |
| Internet | | | |
| Shared subscriptions | | | |
| Household supplies | | | |
| Replacement fund | | | |
| Total | | | |

### Each person's share

| Cost | Person 1 | Person 2 | Person 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent weight | | | |
| Equal weight (1 each) | | | |
| Rent | | | |
| Electric | | | |
| Gas | | | |
| Water and trash | | | |
| Internet | | | |
| Shared subscriptions | | | |
| Household supplies | | | |
| Replacement fund | | | |
| Monthly total | | | |
| Check (shares minus bills, must be 0) | | | |

### The three formulas

In a spreadsheet, join the two tables into one sheet: costs in column A, amounts in column B, each person's share in columns C to E, and the split rule and due date after that. Put the names in C1 to E1, the rent weights in C2 to E2, the equal weights in C3 to E3, the costs in rows 4 to 11, the totals in row 12 and the check in row 13.

1. **Sum.** `=SUM(B4:B11)` in B12 totals the bills. Copy it right for each person's monthly total.
2. **Weight share.** `=ROUND($B4*C$2/SUM($C$2:$E$2),2)` in C4 is the amount times the person's weight, divided by the sum of the weights. Copy it across to E4. For each equal-split line (rows 5 to 11), write the same formula with row 3 in place of row 2, then copy it across.
3. **Check.** `=ROUND(SUM(C12:E12)-B12,2)` in B13 must be 0. A result of 0.01 or -0.01 means a split did not divide evenly, so move the cent to one person.

## What to agree on

- **The split rule.** Equal works for utilities when everyone is home about the same, as in [how to split utilities between roommates](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-split-utilities-between-roommates). For rent, [splitting by room size](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-split-rent-by-room-size) gives the weights for the rent weight row.
- **The account holder.** Decide how many days the others have to repay the person who paid.
- **The replacement fund.** Agree on the amount, who holds it and how a purchase is approved.
- **Costs left out.** Personal groceries and personal subscriptions stay out. [What expenses roommates should split](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/what-expenses-should-roommates-split) sorts the rest.
- **House rules.** Quiet hours and guests go on the [roommate agreement template](https://www.evenoutapp.com/templates/roommate-agreement-template), which names this budget on its money line.

In EvenOut, the rent weights go in as a "By shares" split (4, 3 and 3 shares of a $2,500 rent is $250 a share), and a monthly Repeat adds a fixed bill such as rent every month. The splits are cent-accurate, so remainders are shared out instead of lost.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I budget a bill that changes every month?

Use the average of the last three bills as the estimate and update the amount whenever a new bill arrives. Add the three amounts and divide by three: $96, $108 and $120 average $108. The real bill goes in your tracker, so the budget stays the plan.

### What is the replacement fund for?

It is a small monthly amount set aside to replace shared household things when they break, such as a vacuum or a shower curtain. Agree on who holds it and how a purchase is approved. At move-out, divide what is left in proportion to what each person put in.

### Should groceries go in the budget?

Only if you buy and eat them together. Groceries that each person buys for themselves stay out. For shared food, set a monthly amount like any other line and log the actual spending in the tracker.

### What if the roommates earn different amounts?

Use the weight row. Replace the room weights with one number per person, such as monthly income, and the same formula divides the rent in proportion. Point any other line at that row too if it should follow income.