Coliving vs. Living Alone: Pros and Cons

Deciding to move out is always followed by another equally important decision: to live alone, or to live with roommates?

With the rise of coliving as a new housing concept, sharing your home with others has become about so much more than just sharing bills and splitting chores… which is why so many have opted for living with roommates rather than get their own place.

Can’t decide which is better for you? We’ve put together a list of pros and cons to help you out!

The Pros and Cons of Coliving

Coliving is a model based primarily on community. Coliving brings together like-minded people who share the same interests and values, and who will contribute to each other’s growth and development. The idea behind coliving is that your roommate is more than just someone you live with, they’re someone that’s actually highly influential in your life.

Pro: Community and belonging

The main benefit of coliving is the feeling of community and belonging. You’ll be living with people who share your same values, and who are interested in contributing to your life and getting to know you on a deeper level.

Pro: Convenience

Once you’ve found a community you feel comfortable with, you’re ready to move in! Coliving spaces are typically fully-furnished, and offer their residents access to different leisure facilities and community events. You don’t need to worry about buying furniture, undisclosed bills, or maintenance for the place.

Pro: Networking

Individuals who opt for coliving do so because they’re genuinely interested in the community factor, which means they’ll be excited to network and share knowledge with everyone. This becomes especially informative and worldly because of coliving’s global environment, as many of those residing in coliving spaces are of different backgrounds, ethnicities and nationalities.

Con: Less Privacy

In a coliving model, there are more shared spaces than the standard housing. This is done by design, to encourage interaction and community building. While this does support the coliving model, it still means that residents of a community may sometimes struggle to find time to be alone. More often than not, the only place you can go to be by yourself is your own room.

Con: More Compromise

Sharing spaces means sometimes you won’t be able to get your way. Maybe you’re interested in redecorating, but your roommates don’t feel the need to. Perhaps your roommates want to host a get-together during the weekend, while you were hoping for some quiet time in front of the TV. You have to be willing to compromise and keep an open-mind.

The Pros and Cons of Living Alone

Although living alone may not be as popular as it used to be due to rising rental prices and competitive real estate markets, it still presents a few good advantages - especially if you’re introverted and like to have your own space!

Pro: Total Freedom

Living alone gives you the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want: cook in the kitchen in the middle of the night, host friends over when you feel like it, redecorate to your heart’s content. When you live alone, you’re the king or queen of your own castle.

Pro: Conflict-free

When living with roommates, no matter how close or compatible you are, you can never avoid arising conflicts. It’s just part of sharing a space. Living alone means you get to enjoy your peace and quiet without having to navigate and figure out pain points with someone else.

Pro: Make it your own

Alone in an apartment? That means you get to make all the decisions, and you can make the place your own. You can add any decorations you wish, change the walls’ color, add items that you feel represent who you are, introduce aromatherapy into the space, create a corner for just reading and journaling, and so much more!

Con: More Chores

Of course, one major disadvantage of living alone is that you’re the only one responsible for chores. There are no roommates to create a chore schedule with - it’s all you! This can be overwhelming at times, but is definitely manageable with some planning.

Con: Loneliness/Boredom

Though this may not be true for introverts, many individuals who live alone often struggle with boredom and loneliness. In fact, a recent study found that one in four EU citizens reported feeling frequent loneliness. Having roommates can be an opportunity to make new friends and get introduced into new circles, but living alone means you might have to work a little bit harder to meet new people.

Con: Bills

When living on your own, you’re responsible for all your bills, all the maintenance work your apartment requires, and all the expenses related to living there. This can sometimes rack up… but if you plan ahead, save money for emergencies and general apartment needs, and budget well, you’ll never be surprised by a hefty bill at the end of the month.

There are definitely pros and cons to both coliving and living alone. We personally prefer coliving! If you’re looking for a community to call home, make sure you browse our listings in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.