Rent split calculator by income
Quick answer
Enter the total rent and each person's monthly income, using the same basis for everyone. Each person pays the rent times their income divided by everyone's income, so all pay the same percentage of what they earn. For $2,400 and incomes of $4,000, $2,500 and $1,500, the shares are $1,200, $750 and $450, or 30% each.
Key points
- Each person pays rent × their income ÷ everyone's income. With a pure income split, everyone pays the same percentage of their own income: rent ÷ combined income.
- Set the equal part above 0 to split some of the rent equally first and the rest by income.
- Enter every income on the same basis. Mixing pay before deductions with take-home pay shifts the shares.
- A slot at 0 income counts as empty and pays nothing. A flat contribution from someone with no income is taken off the rent before the split.
On this page
Person 1 pays (30% of their income) $1,200
Person 2 pays (30% of their income) $750.00
Person 3 pays (30% of their income) $450.00
Person 4 (not used) $0.00
Person 5 (not used) $0.00
Person 6 (not used) $0.00
Rent as a share of everyone's combined income 30%
Show the formula
- Equal part = total monthly rent × percent split equally ÷ 100, shared equally by everyone with an income above 0
- Income part = total monthly rent minus the equal part
- A person's income share = income part × their income ÷ everyone's income added together
- A person pays = their equal share + their income share, rounded to the cent so the shares add up to the rent
When to split rent by income
Split by income when household incomes differ a lot and the group wants everyone to carry the same share of what they earn. When incomes are close, an equal split gives nearly the same numbers with less to explain. The reasoning and the conversation are covered in how to split rent based on income. When the bedrooms differ more than the incomes do, the rent split calculator by room size is the better start.
How the calculator works
Each person pays the rent times their income divided by everyone’s income. Say the rent is $2,400 and three people earn $4,000, $2,500 and $1,500 a month. The incomes add up to $8,000, so the shares are 50%, 31.25% and 18.75% of the rent.
- Person 1 pays $2,400 × 4,000 ÷ 8,000 = $1,200.
- Person 2 pays $2,400 × 2,500 ÷ 8,000 = $750.
- Person 3 pays $2,400 × 1,500 ÷ 8,000 = $450.
The result is also a check. The rent is $2,400 ÷ $8,000 = 30% of the combined income, and each of the three payments is 30% of that person’s own income: $1,200 of $4,000, $750 of $2,500, $450 of $1,500. If every person’s rent divided by their income gives the same percentage, it is a pure income split.
Mixing an equal part with an income part
The last box sets how much of the rent is split equally before income is considered. At 50%, half the rent ($1,200) is shared equally, which is $400 each for three people. The other $1,200 is split by income: $600, $375 and $225. That lowers Person 1’s payment by $200 and raises Person 3’s by $175.
| Person | Income | All by income | Half equal, half by income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person 1 | $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,000 |
| Person 2 | $2,500 | $750 | $775 |
| Person 3 | $1,500 | $450 | $625 |
The gap between the highest and lowest payment drops from $750 to $375. The lowest earner now pays 41.7% of their income, up from 30%, and the highest earner pays 25%, down from 30%. The more of the rent that is equal, the closer the dollars get and the further the percentages drift apart.
Use one basis for everyone
The calculator takes whatever you type, so the numbers must mean the same thing. Say a household of two has rent of $2,400. One person enters $5,000 of pay before deductions and the other enters $3,000 of take-home pay, so the first pays $2,400 × 5,000 ÷ 8,000 = $1,500. If both enter take-home pay instead, say $4,000 for the first and $3,000 for the second, the first pays $2,400 × 4,000 ÷ 7,000 = $1,371.43. The mismatch moved $128.57 onto one person.
Common mistakes
- Entering 0 for someone who lives there. A slot at 0 is treated as empty, so that person pays nothing and the others cover the rent. If a person with no income agrees to pay a flat $300, take it off first: enter $2,100 as the rent for everyone else.
- Leaving incomes out of date. Run it again when someone’s pay changes or the lease renews.
- Using a different period for each person. All incomes must be monthly, or all yearly, never a mix.
Recording the split in EvenOut
Once the shares are agreed, add the rent in EvenOut as one expense with Exact amounts or By percent, and set Repeat to Monthly. Each later month is added with the same payer and split. When incomes change, stop the repeat and set up a new one with the new amounts. For the other bills in the home, the roommate expense calculator shows the monthly cost per person, and how to split rent fairly compares four methods with the same rent.
Frequently asked questions
What do I enter if someone's income changes from month to month?
Use an average over a period the household agrees on. Twelve months of pay adding up to $36,000 is $3,000 a month. Then run the calculator again once a year, or when the lease renews, so the shares stay current.
How do I enter a couple who share the bedroom?
Put their combined income in one slot, so the couple counts as one person in the split. A couple earning $3,000 and $2,000 enters $5,000, and what they owe together is theirs to divide between them.
Can I include utilities in the rent box?
Yes, if the household splits the fixed bills the same way. Enter the rent plus those bills as one monthly total. Bills that change month to month are easier to keep as separate expenses.
Keep reading
- Guide How to split rent based on income, with the math Your rent is the total rent times your income, divided by everyone's income. Worked example: $2,700 over incomes of $6,000, $4,000 and $2,000.
- Guide How to split rent fairly: 4 methods with real numbers Four ways to split rent fairly, run on one $2,700 apartment: equal, square footage, income and feature points, with a rule for choosing and EvenOut steps.
- Guide How to split rent when roommates include a couple Count a couple per head, per room or in between. On $2,400 the couple pays $1,600, $1,200 or $1,440. Plus utilities and a partner moving in.
- Calculator Roommate expense calculator: monthly cost per person Rent split by room weight plus utilities, internet and groceries split equally, as one total each. $2,380 of rent and $450 of bills gives $1,130, $920 and $780.