The shared housing landscape has changed a lot in the past decade. Co-living spaces have emerged as a polished alternative to the traditional roommate setup, and the differences go deeper than aesthetics.
Here's an honest comparison to help you decide which model fits your life.
What Co-Living Actually Is
Co-living is a managed shared living arrangement where a company owns or leases a property and rents individual rooms to tenants. Everything else, the common areas, cleaning, utilities, internet, and sometimes even community events, is handled for you.
Think of it as a step between a traditional apartment and a boutique hotel. You get a private bedroom (sometimes with a private bathroom) and share a kitchen, living room, and other amenities with your co-living mates.
Popular co-living brands include Common, Bungalow, and various local operators in major cities.
What Traditional Roommates Look Like
The traditional model is what most people picture: you and one or more people sign a lease together (or you sublet from someone), split costs, and manage the household yourselves.
You find your own roommates, negotiate your own rules, handle your own maintenance requests, and figure out the cleaning schedule among yourselves.
The Key Differences
Cost
Co-living tends to be 10-30% more expensive than splitting a traditional apartment with roommates. You're paying for convenience, furnishing, and managed services.
Traditional roommates are usually cheaper per person but come with hidden costs: furnishing common areas, dealing with maintenance, and the time spent managing shared logistics.
Flexibility
Co-living typically offers shorter lease terms (month-to-month or 3-6 months). Moving in and out is simpler because you're not on a joint lease.
Traditional roommates usually mean a 12-month lease minimum. If one person wants to leave, it creates a cascade of problems for everyone else.
Community
Co-living spaces often organize community events and attract people who want a built-in social network. Great for newcomers to a city.
Traditional roommates give you a smaller, more intimate household. Your social experience depends entirely on who you live with.
Control
Co-living means following the operator's rules. You might not be able to bring your own furniture, choose your own internet provider, or hang things on the walls.
Traditional roommates give you full control over your space. You and your roommates decide everything together.
Roommate Selection
Co-living companies typically do the matching for you. Some are better at this than others, but you generally don't get to choose who lives in the next room.
Traditional roommates mean you pick who you live with. When you use a compatibility matching tool, you can be intentional about finding someone whose habits align with yours.
Who Should Consider Co-Living
Co-living works best for:
- People new to a city who want instant community and zero setup hassle
- Digital nomads and remote workers who value flexibility over long-term roots
- Young professionals who want a turnkey living situation while they figure out a new city
- Anyone who hates logistics and would rather pay more for someone else to handle the details
Who Should Stick with Traditional Roommates
Traditional roommate arrangements work best for:
- People who want to choose who they live with. Compatibility matching apps make this easier than ever.
- Budget-conscious renters who want to minimize their housing costs
- People who want control over their living space, furniture, and household rules
- Long-term renters who plan to stay in one place for a year or more
- Families or couples who need more flexible arrangements
The Hybrid Approach
Some people start with co-living when they move to a new city, then transition to a traditional roommate setup once they've found their footing. This gives you the community benefit of co-living upfront and the cost savings of traditional roommates long-term.
Roommate matching services bridge the gap by giving you the community-building aspect of co-living (connecting you with compatible people) while keeping the cost and flexibility advantages of traditional shared housing.
Making Your Decision
Ask yourself three questions:
- What's your budget? If you can afford the premium, co-living removes a lot of friction. If budget is tight, traditional roommates win.
- How long are you staying? Short-term favors co-living. Long-term favors traditional.
- How important is choosing your roommate? If compatibility is a priority, traditional roommates with a matching tool give you the most control.
There's no universally right answer. But there's probably a right answer for where you are in life right now.