How Much Are You Really Saving by Living With Roommates?

We all know living with roommates is cheaper than renting solo - but the scale of the savings might surprise you. In some US cities, choosing to live with roommates over living on your own in a one-bedroom apartment can save you up to $30,000 a year!

The biggest savings are in East and West Coast cities such as New York, Boston and San Francisco.

• New York comes out on top. Renting a room in a shared property in NYC costs an average $1,530 per month, compared to $4,048 for a one-bed. That's an annual saving of $30,216.
• Followed by Boston, renting a one-bed averages $3,511 a month, while a room is $1,354. That's a difference of $25,884 a year.
• In the San Francisco Bay Area, renters save an average of $21,444 a year by living with roommates.

Even in more affordable major cities, living with roommates still makes a massive difference:

• In Chicago, where average room rents in shared properties are $992 per month, renters could save over $11,000 a year by choosing to live with roommates over renting a one-bedroom ($1,953 a month).
• In Houston, a room at $890 vs. a one-bed at $1,194 means $3,648 saved annually.

If you're in a position where you're choosing between renting alone or renting with others, it's well worth considering the potential savings, which are into five figures in some metro areas. And generally, though not exclusively, the more roommates you live with the higher the savings, too.

We analysed the 20 top US metros to find out just how much you could save - take a look at how your city compares.

(Source: SpareRoom Q2 2025 rental index, one-bed apartment averages from Apartment.com on Sep 17, 2025)