Apartment sharing has always been the cheapest way to rent, but the savings compared to renting solo are into five figures in 11 U.S. metro areas. But are the specific cities where renters can save the most by living with roommates?

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  • The savings from living with roommates are most significant in East and West Coast metro areas, including Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., San Diego and Seattle.
  • In Boston, MA roommates could save more than $25K a year compared to renting a one-bedroom apartment.
  • In Chicago, IL, where room rents are rising 4.8% year on year, sharing will still save roommates more than $11K a year compared to renting a one-bedroom apartment.
  • The savings from living with roommates are less substantial in southern metro areas like Houston and Phoenix, but still significant at $326 and $400 per month respectively.

Those looking for their next rental, particularly in East and West Coast metro areas, should consider the price difference between renting solo and renting with roommates. New data from roommate matching site SpareRoom reveals the difference is as much as $25,000 a year.

Apartment sharing has always been the cheapest way to rent, but the savings compared to renting solo are into five figures in 11 US metro areas, including Boston, MA where roommates could save more than $25K a year, on average, compared to renting a one-bedroom apartment.

SpareRoom compared its own rental index data for Q1 2025 with the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment. It found that, even in Chicago, IL, where room rents have risen the most year on year, according to its rental index, sharing will still save roommates more than $11K per year compared to renting solo.

The savings, though not as substantial in southern metro areas like Houston and Phoenix, are still significant at $326 and $400 per month respectively. The annual savings in Houston ($3,912) would cover 1,200 gallons of gas at $3.26 per gallon. Enough to fill up a small car around 100 times.

The table below shows the 22 most popular metro areas among roommates using SpareRoom, average room rents for Q1 2025, and the savings compared to renting a one bedroom apartment:

US metro areaStatesAverage room rent per month Q1 2025 ($)Ave monthly rent for one-bed apartment* ($)Monthly saving ($)Annual saving ($)
1BostonMA, NH13383,439210125,212
2New YorkNJ, NY15143,207169320,316
3San Francisco Bay AreaCA12982,985168720,244
4Washington D.C.DC, MD, VA, WV11442,305116113,932
5Fort LauderdaleFL11412,236109513,140
6San DiegoCA12992,349105012,600
7SeattleWA10322,070103812,456
8ChicagoIL, IN, WI9771,91693911,268
9PhiladelphiaMD, NJ, PA8621,72486210,344
10RiversideCA10071,85885110,212
11Los AngelesCA13342,16883410,008
12MiamiFL13852,1607759,300
13TampaFL9631,6667038,436
14OrlandoFL9311,5886577,884
15AtlantaGA9511,6076567,872
16DenverCO10381,6476097,308
17SacramentoCA9701,5565867,032
18AustinTX8681,4375696,828
19DallasTX9051,4044995,988
20Las VegasNV8751,3064315,172
21PhoenixAZ9351,3354004,800
22HoustonTX8721,1983263,912

(Source: SpareRoom Q1 2025 rental index, one-bed apartment averages from Apartment.com on April 4, 2025)

“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 East and West Coast metro areas,” said Matt Hutchinson, director of roommate matching site SpareRoom. “In reality, the savings are likely to be even higher as our data includes some utilities in the rent. And generally, though not exclusively, the more roommates you live with the higher the savings, too.”