Coliving vs. Renting a Room with Roommates: What’s the Better Choice for You?

Rental Tips & Advice · Roommate Search

Coliving vs. living with roommates — same thing, right? Not exactly.

While both are budget-friendly alternatives to living alone, the way they’re structured, managed,
and experienced can feel completely different.

At their core, both exist to solve the same problem: housing is expensive, flexibility matters
more than ever, and people—especially younger renters—are prioritizing convenience, mobility,
and community.

So what’s the real difference between coliving and a traditional roommate setup? And which
one actually makes sense for you—whether you’re a digital nomad, recent grad, or just trying to
survive city rent without draining your savings?

Let’s break it down.

What Is Coliving?

Coliving is a modern take on shared housing, built for today’s mobile, connected lifestyles.
These are typically fully furnished homes or apartments with shared kitchens, bathrooms,
lounges, and sometimes extras like coworking spaces, gyms, or hosted events.

The defining feature? All-inclusive pricing. Rent usually covers utilities, Wi-Fi, furniture,
cleaning services, and sometimes even supplies. Leases are often flexible, and the setup is
designed to be low-stress and move-in ready.

Coliving tends to attract remote workers, digital nomads, expats, creatives, and people new to a
city—anyone who wants more than just a bed and four walls.

As one Reddit user put it:

“People assume coliving means paying more for less space, but you’re not just
paying for a room. You’re paying for the community, the vibe, and living with people
who get your lifestyle.

As someone who travels full-time, it can get isolating. With coliving, you’re
surrounded by remote workers, creatives, nomads. I don’t worry about Wi-Fi,
cleaning, or setup—it’s all done. These days, I mostly stick to coliving because it
just makes life easier.”

What Is Renting a Room With Roommates?

Renting a room with roommates is the classic shared housing model. You rent a bedroom in an
apartment or house, split the rent, and share common areas like the kitchen and bathroom.

Unlike coliving, these setups are usually self-managed. Roommates coordinate utilities, handle
cleaning, buy furniture, and manage the lease together. Some rooms come furnished, many
don’t. Wi-Fi? That’s on you.

This option has been around forever—and while it lacks the polish of coliving, it offers more
control, more choice in roommates, and often a lower monthly cost if you’re willing to put in the
work.

1. Cost Breakdown

Coliving usually comes with a higher sticker price—but that’s because more is included. Utilities,
Wi-Fi, cleaning, furniture, and sometimes even maintenance are bundled into one predictable
payment. Budgeting is simpler, and there’s less mental overhead.

Renting a room often looks cheaper upfront, but costs are split and separate. Utilities fluctuate.
Furniture adds up. Cleaning and maintenance depend on how responsible your roommates are.

There’s also more financial risk. If a roommate leaves suddenly, you might be stuck covering
their share or scrambling to replace them.

As Charles from SharedEasy explains:

“In a typical apartment share, if someone bails, you’re suddenly scrambling to fill
their spot or cover their portion. Coliving removes that stress. Rent stays stable
because it’s centrally managed—no awkward group texts, no panic.”

💡 Here’s where it gets interesting:

According to iROOMit rental data, in cities like Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, and Indianapolis,
coliving can actually be more affordable than traditional roommate rentals. Meanwhile, cities like
New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia tend to have higher
coliving prices.

Why? Location and amenities. Coliving providers often operate in premium neighborhoods, offer
fully furnished units, weekly cleaning, and flexible leases. Traditional roommate rentals are more
likely to be older, no-frills apartments that cost less but require more effort.

Takeaway: Coliving isn’t always more expensive—it depends on the city, what’s included, and
how much convenience matters to you.

2. Availability & Location

Room rentals are everywhere—big cities, suburbs, college towns, smaller metros. If you want
options in specific neighborhoods or outside major urban cores, renting a room is usually easier.

Coliving is more concentrated in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.

That said, coliving is expanding fast. More options are popping up in cities like Indianapolis,
San Antonio, Kansas City, Phoenix, and beyond. The gap is shrinking, but outside large
metros, traditional room rentals still dominate.

City-by-City: How This Plays Out

Atlanta Coliving properties often appear in south and west-side suburbs like Clayton County, College
Park, Lakewood Heights, and Union City—frequently larger homes converted into shared living
spaces near MARTA lines.

Room rentals are more common in central and north-side areas like Downtown, Decatur, Sandy
Springs, Marietta, and Kennesaw, closer to job centers.

New York City Coliving is common in Harlem, Morningside Heights, Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Williamsburg.
These setups are fully furnished with flexible leases.

Roommate rentals are scattered across Astoria, the East Village, Upper West Side, and more—
often older walk-ups with lower rent but fewer perks.

Even within the same neighborhood, the difference is noticeable. In Harlem, coliving averages
around $2,000–$2,100/month, while roommate rentals hover closer to $1,600–$1,700. That gap
pays for convenience, furniture, cleaning, and flexibility.

Bottom line:
Coliving is more curated and limited in location. Room rentals offer more variety and a wider
price range.

3. Management & Maintenance

Coliving spaces are professionally managed. Repairs, cleaning, and maintenance are handled
for you. Something breaks? You submit a request and move on.

As Charles from SharedEasy puts it:

“You’re not stuck with that one ‘landlord roommate’ who ends up paying when
something breaks. In coliving, maintenance is built into the model. A leaky faucet
doesn’t become a group argument—it becomes a ticket.”

With roommate rentals, landlords handle major repairs, but daily upkeep—cleaning, trash, minor
fixes—is usually on the roommates. It works when everyone’s aligned. When they’re not, things
get messy fast.

4. Community & Social Life

Coliving is intentionally social. Many spaces host dinners, game nights, workshops, or
networking events. Shared layouts encourage interaction.

In roommate rentals, the social vibe depends entirely on who you live with. Some households
become close friends. Others barely interact. There’s no structure—and no safety net if conflict.

“We try to match people well, but if issues come up, there’s a support team or
community manager to help. That’s a big difference from being stuck handling
everything yourself.”

5. Roommate Match-Up

This one matters more than people admit.

With traditional rooms for rent, you usually choose your roommates—friends, classmates, or
strangers you vet yourself. It’s more intentional and often more stable.

With coliving, you’re usually matched by availability or basic preferences. It can be great… or
unpredictable. The upside? You’re only responsible for your lease, and flexibility is built in.
People come and go, and that’s part of the model.

Great if you’re adaptable. Less great if you need long-term consistency.

Who Should Choose What?

Coliving makes sense if you:

• Are new to a city
• Work remotely or travel often
• Want flexibility and minimal setup
• Value community and convenience

It’s especially popular with digital nomads, creatives, students, interns, and people in transition.

As Fedor puts it:

“Remote workers love the flexibility, but we also see students, interns, and people
relocating who want a stress-free place to land.”

Renting a room makes sense if you:

• Want lower costs
• Prefer choosing your roommates
• Don’t mind managing bills and logistics
• Want fewer people in your home

Room rentals also offer more freedom to furnish your space your way and are available in far
more locations.

Final Verdict

There’s no universal winner—just different priorities.

If you want plug-and-play living with flexibility and built-in social life, coliving is hard to beat.
If you value independence, cost control, and choosing who you live with, renting a room is likely
the better fit.

Quick gut check:

• Convenience, flexibility, community → Coliving
• Control, lower cost, independence → Roommate rental

Your best option depends on how you want to live, not just how much you want to pay.

Download iROOMit app

Ready to Start Your Search?

Whether you’re leaning toward coliving or renting a room, iROOMit makes it easy to find the
right fit.

Explore over 110,000 listings from coliving providers and individual renters—all in one place.
Browse rooms for rent near you and lock in a living setup that actually matches your lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is coliving cheaper than renting a room?

Sometimes—depending on the city. Coliving often costs more upfront, but that price usually
includes utilities, Wi-Fi, furniture, cleaning, and maintenance. In some cities, iROOMit data
shows coliving can be comparable or even cheaper than renting a room once all extra costs
are factored in.

What’s included in coliving rent?

Most coliving spaces include rent, utilities, Wi-Fi, furnished rooms, shared supplies, cleaning
services, and maintenance. Some also offer coworking areas and community events.

Do I get my own room in coliving?

Yes. In most coliving setups, you get a private bedroom while sharing common areas like the
kitchen and living room.

Can I choose my roommates in coliving?

Usually, no. Coliving companies match residents based on availability and general preferences.

Are coliving leases flexible?

Yes. Many spaces offer month-to-month or short-term leases.

Is renting a room always cheaper?

Not always. Extra costs like utilities, Wi-Fi, furniture, and cleaning add up quickly.

Who is coliving best for?

Remote workers, digital nomads, students, interns, creatives, and people moving to a new city.

Who should rent a room instead?

People who want lower costs, long-term stability, and more control.

Is coliving only available in big cities?

Mostly, but it’s expanding into mid-sized markets.

Where can I find coliving spaces and rooms for rent?

You can find both in one place on iROOMit. The platform lists thousands of rooms for rent and coliving options, making it easy to compare prices, locations, and amenities side by side.