Moving as a couple: which costs are shared and which double?

Classify each expense

Mark rent and any fixed connection charge as household costs, transport and mobile plans as person-specific where appropriate, and groceries or usage-based utilities as variable household costs. These are starting classifications, not fixed rules: a second person may require a larger home or another work area. Record the actual housing choice instead of assuming unchanged rent.

Add people before dividing shares

Illustration: household rent of 1,000, internet of 40, two transport passes of 60 and two mobile plans of 15 total 1,190 for those items. An equal split is 595 each, before food and other missing costs. Do not call 595 a complete per-person budget. The split is a household agreement, not evidence that every expense is independently purchasable at half price.

Test different schedules

One person may arrive earlier or commute more often. Put their actual dates and quantities into the household plan, then decide how to allocate the cost privately. Do not compare a one-person origin budget with a two-person destination budget as a pure city-price change. In Lifovra, keep household assumptions consistent and document personal additions outside the covered subtotal.

Sources and further reading

• Lifovra — methodology and limitations