Three common approaches
Split everything equally. Split shared bills in proportion to income. Or pool all income into one account and pay everything from it. Many couples mix them: a shared account for shared bills and separate accounts for personal spending.
Worked example: split by income
One partner takes home $5,200 a month and the other $3,900, for $9,100 together. Shared bills are $4,550 a month.
The first partner earns about 57% of the total and pays $2,600; the second earns about 43% and pays $1,950. Each pays the same share of their own income, 50%.
Agree on the rules
Decide what counts as shared, how much either can spend without checking in, and how you save together. Write it down and look at it every few months.
Keep the talks short and regular
A fifteen-minute money check-in once a month beats one long argument a year. Look at the numbers together, not at each other's receipts.
Try the calculator
Run your own numbers in the free rent split calculator. It works in your browser and nothing you enter is saved or sent.
Do it in Wrenfold
Wrenfold can be opened on a phone on your home Wi-Fi, so both of you can see the same budget at home. Wrenfold is the budgeting app we make. Your data stays in a file on your own device, and you can try it free in your browser with up to 60 entries.
Sources
Common questions
Is splitting 50/50 unfair?
Not if you earn about the same. With a big income gap, splitting by income often feels fairer.
Should we combine accounts?
Some couples do, some don't. A shared account for shared bills plus personal accounts is a common middle ground.
What if one partner earns much more?
Many couples split shared costs in proportion to income rather than fifty-fifty. The split you both agree on is the one that works.
This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Rates, fees and rules change, so confirm current terms with the lender, store or agency involved. All dollar figures are invented examples.