Cost of Breaking Up Calculator
For couples who live together but aren’t married. Divorce calculators don’t apply to you — there’s no automatic 50/50 split. See the real numbers: shared items, the lease, subscriptions, and the cash you’d actually need.
For each item, estimate its value, what % of it Partner A paid for, and who would keep it.
Most leases with a termination clause charge 1–2 months’ rent as a buyout fee.
Family plans split into individual plans cost more per person. Add the shared subscriptions you’d lose the discount on.
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Divorce calculators don’t apply to you. Here’s what actually happens.
Search for “asset division calculator” and every result assumes you’re married — community property, equitable distribution, spousal support. None of that exists for unmarried couples. If you’ve been living together, sharing a lease, and splitting bills, the law mostly treats you as two separate people who happen to share an address. Whoever’s name is on something usually keeps it, regardless of who paid for it.
That gap is the whole reason this tool exists. Guest-screening apps and divorce calculators answer different questions. This one answers: if we split up tomorrow, what would it actually cost each of us, in real dollars?
A worked example
Say you own a TV ($1,200, Partner A paid 60%, Partner B keeps it), a sofa ($800, Partner A paid 40%, Partner A keeps it), and a table ($400, split evenly, Partner A keeps it). You’re on a $1,800/month lease with an early termination clause, you share a Spotify Family plan, and you have a shared pet.
| Factor | Result |
|---|---|
| Partner A’s fair share (by contribution) | $1,240 |
| What Partner A actually keeps | $1,200 |
| Compensation owed | Partner B owes Partner A $40 |
| Lease termination fee (1.5 months) | $2,700 |
| Lost subscription discount (Spotify) | +$2/month |
| Shared pet costs | $1,150/year |
| Total cash needed to separate | $6,250 |
Notice the compensation number is small here ($40) because the contributions were close to even. When one partner pays for most of the shared items but the other one’s name ends up on more of them, that gap gets a lot bigger — and without anything in writing, there’s no built-in mechanism to fix it.
The legal trap almost nobody checks for
If you have a joint bank account and you’re not married, the money in it doesn’t automatically belong to both of you equally. In most interpretations, it belongs to whoever’s name is on it, or functionally to whoever withdraws it first. Marriage creates default property rights; cohabitation generally doesn’t. The main tool unmarried couples actually have here is a written cohabitation agreement, made before or during the relationship — courts in some places will also weigh “unjust enrichment” claims, proof that one partner paid for something the other now solely benefits from, but that route needs documentation and usually a lawyer to pursue. None of this is US-specific in principle, though the details are: laws vary by country and even by state or province within one, but the underlying pattern — marriage creates property rights that cohabitation usually doesn’t — holds across most common-law jurisdictions, with the specifics depending on where you actually live.
This calculator is for informational and planning purposes only and is not legal advice. Property division for unmarried couples depends heavily on your specific jurisdiction, documentation, and circumstances. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your situation. Reference prices for subscriptions are 2026 U.S. averages and will change over time.