Contribution guide
Short answerIf your incomes are similar, contribute 50/50. If they are not, each of you contributes the same percentage of your income: your share equals the shared costs times your income, divided by your combined income. That way you both keep the same proportion of your pay for yourselves.
Add both take-home incomes. Divide your income by the total: that is your percentage. Multiply the month’s shared costs by your percentage. That is your contribution.
Example: you take home $6,000 a month and your partner $4,000. The total is $10,000, so you cover 60% and your partner 40%. If shared costs are $5,000, you contribute $3,000 and your partner $2,000.
| Currency | Incomes | Shared costs | Each contributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD | $6,000 and $4,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 and $2,000 |
| EUR | €2,700 and €1,800 | €2,000 | €1,200 and €800 |
| MXN | $36,000 and $24,000 | $30,000 | $18,000 and $12,000 |
Split 50/50, each of you puts in $2,500. You keep $3,500 (58% of your pay) and your partner keeps $1,500 (38%). Split proportionally, you both keep 50%. Equal effort, different amounts.
Revisit the split after a raise, a job change, parental leave, going part time, or paying off a big debt. If income varies month to month, use a three to six month average.
The proportional split calculator gives you the percentages in seconds. In Couplesplit you set the rule once (50/50, by income or a fixed percentage) and every shared expense splits itself; at the end of the month you see who owes whom and settle with one transfer.
Take-home, because that is the money each of you actually spends. Use gross only if you both prefer it and your deductions are similar.
With a proportional split, the higher earner covers two thirds of shared costs (66.7%) and the other partner one third (33.3%).
No. If your incomes are close, 50/50 is simpler. What matters is a clear rule you both accept.
The formula does not see it, but it counts. If one partner does much more unpaid work, you can agree to lower their percentage and write it down.
Shared money, clearer
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