Moving in together finances: the budget and who pays what

Most of the cost of moving in together is paid in the two or three weeks around signing the lease. What to budget for:

• First month's rent, usually due at signing or on move-in day. Some landlords also ask for the last month's rent up front.
• The security deposit, returned when you move out if the place is in good condition.
• Application, screening or broker fees, depending on where you live and how you found the apartment.
• Moving costs: a rental truck, gas, boxes, or professional movers.
• Furniture and appliances: bed, couch, table, plus the small stuff (curtains, light bulbs, kitchen basics).
• Utility setup: electricity, gas, internet, and renters insurance, which many leases require. Some utility companies ask for a deposit too.
• Overlapping rent: if one of you is still on a lease, you may pay two rents for a month or two, or a lease-break fee.

Maya and Jordan rent an apartment for $1,500 a month, plus about $150 of utilities. Maya takes home $4,800 a month and Jordan $3,200. The landlord asks for one month's rent as a deposit.

Together they take home $8,000: Maya brings 60% ($4,800 ÷ $8,000) and Jordan 40%. So they split the shared costs 60/40, the same rule they use for rent. The split by income calculator does this math with your own numbers.

For furniture they use a different rule: whoever pays for it owns it. Maya buys the couch ($800), Jordan the bed and a dresser ($700). In total Maya pays $2,250 + $800 = $3,050 and Jordan $1,500 + $700 = $2,200, which makes $5,250 to move in.

Their rent and utilities come to $1,650 ÷ $8,000 = about 21% of their take-home pay. For the rest of the monthly budget, see our couples monthly budget guide.

Not every moving cost is the same kind of money. One rule for everything often feels unfair later. Three buckets are enough:

• Costs that are gone once paid (first rent, fees, movers, setup): split them like the rent, 50/50 or by income. Both methods are explained in how couples split expenses.
• The security deposit: it comes back when you move out. Write down who put in how much, so it can be returned in the same proportion. If one of you paid it all, the other can pay back their share.
• Furniture and appliances: decide who owns what. Either whoever pays keeps it, or you buy together and note each person's share, so you know who keeps what or how to split the resale price.

If both names are on the lease (or tenancy agreement, in the UK), you are usually both tenants, with the same rights to stay. If only one of you signs, the other may have no right to stay if the relationship ends, even if they pay half the rent. Many leases also make each tenant responsible for the full rent, not just half. Read the lease and check your local tenant rules before you sign.

Utilities, internet and insurance often go in one name. That person gets the bills and the reminders, and in many places a missed payment shows up on their credit. Spread the accounts between you, or keep a clear record of who pays what, so one person does not carry every bill.

1. Your maximum rent together, and what each of you can pay without stretching.
2. How you split rent and bills: 50/50 or by income.
3. The move-in budget: a total, each person's share, and a small buffer for surprises.
4. Who signs the lease, and whether both names go on it.
5. Which account pays the rent: a joint account, or transfers from each person's own account. See joint or separate accounts, and joint account when unmarried if you are not married.
6. What happens if one of you moves out: who keeps the apartment, how the deposit is returned, who keeps which furniture.

Talking about a breakup before you move in is not pessimistic. It works like insurance: a few rules written down now save a hard negotiation later.

Once you are settled, the budget looks different. Groceries for two, small things for the apartment and new subscriptions add up fast. Three habits help:

• Track everything for the first three months, even small purchases. That is how you learn what living together really costs.
• Keep an emergency fund separate from the move-in money: a broken appliance or a higher utility bill often shows up in the first year.
• Check in at the end of each month: who paid what, who owes whom, and whether your split still feels fair.

A shared spreadsheet is fine for listing the upfront costs. It gets heavy once you also track rent, groceries and paybacks between you every month.

In SAVY, you create a household for the two of you and invite your partner with a link that is valid for 7 days. You each install the app on iPhone or Android and add what you pay: the deposit, the fees, the movers. For each expense you choose who takes part, so a piece of furniture one of you keeps can be left out. SAVY works out who owes whom, and either of you can mark a payback in one tap. The free plan splits evenly and includes one overall monthly budget with alerts at 80, 90 and 100%, plus 2 recurring expenses (say, rent and internet). SAVY Plus adds splits by income (60/40, even on rent), category budgets and unlimited recurring expenses. The household owner pays for it and it unlocks for both of you. SAVY does not connect to your bank and never moves money: you make the transfers yourselves.