Studio Apartment vs One Bedroom Apartment: Which One is Right for You?

Farah Nadia

If you’re looking to rent an apartment that’s affordable and easy to maintain, there are only two contenders; studio apartment vs one bedroom apartment.

Not only they are usually the two most popular options among single and married young professionals in urban areas, but there are also plenty to choose from.

But which one is right for you? This article will help you decide by comparing some of the benefits of both studio and one bedroom apartments. First, let’s start with what studio apartments are!

What is the difference between a studio apartment vs one bedroom apartment

A studio apartment is a common type of housing with one room. This usually means the studio has only one bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom.

One bedroom apartments are typically bigger than studio apartments because they have two bedrooms instead of just one (one for you and another that can be used as an office).

The difference between them from a financial perspective is also huge. In most cases, studio apartments will cost more per square foot than one bedroom apartments do – especially if it’s in a high demand location like New York City or San Francisco!

This is because studio apartments usually have less space for rent so the landlord doesn’t need to charge as much.

If you’re on a strict budget, then studio apartments are better – but if not they will probably end up costing you more in the long run.

Are studio apartments really more affordable than one bedrooms?

If you’re looking to rent, studio apartments might be more affordable compared to one bedroom apartments. However, studio apartments may be a less desirable option to those who want more space or for families.

Studio Apartments:

  • Studio apartments are smaller than one bedrooms and have fewer rooms which means they typically cost less per month
  • The studio apartment layout is much simpler with just the living room/kitchen area and usually no bedroom
  • Renters in studio apartments will save money because there’s significantly less square footage to pay rent on each month

One Bedroom Apartments:

  • One bedroom apartments come in all shapes and sizes but are generally larger than studio ones due to their overall size of 450+ sqft (typical) vs 350 sqft(typical) for studios. This translates into about $30-$50 more in rent per month
  • One bedrooms also typically come with a bedroom and an office or studio space so renters can use it as their work area. On the downside, living costs are higher because of these extra rooms

When looking at one vs studio apartments for rental purposes, there’s really no right answer. Oftentimes people need to take into consideration factors like square footage needed and whether they have kids before making this decision.

If you’re considering renting studio apartment but want something larger than 350 sqft then you might consider renting out a one bedroom instead! Remember that studio apartments may be cheaper if what you need is less room.

Do one bedroom apartments have more amenities to offer?

When comparing the amenities of a studio apartment vs one bedroom apartment, the one with the longer (and better quality) list is what makes it worth the price of rent.

What exactly is an amenity? In some cases, it can mean anything from having central heating or air conditioning units available through your HVAC system, free parking spaces close by your apartment complex entrance (or even inside!), or gyms.

But in this context, we’ll be ignoring communal amenities like swimming pools and gyms. Instead, we’ll focus on in-unit amenities that are located inside an apartment unit.

Here are some in-unit amenities that are usually available for one-bedroom apartments:

  • Laundry and/or dryer
  • Air conditioning
  • Closets, wardrobes, or other storage space
  • Patio or balcony
  • Dishwasher
  • High-speed internet access
  • Windows
  • Fireplace
  • Hardwood floors

The amenities offered by one bedroom apartments vary from apartment to apartment.

But generally speaking, one bedroom apartments may have more amenities to offer compared to studio apartments. They often come with a large living room, kitchen with plenty of counter space, and cabinets.

Pros and cons of studio apartment living 

The most obvious benefit of living in a studio apartment is affordability. The studio apartment is usually cheaper than the one bedroom apartment, leaving you with more money left over at the end of every month. You’d be lucky to find anything for less than $1200 in a good area these days.

Studio apartments are a great option if you want to live alone or with your partner. You’ll enjoy the privacy that comes with a studio apartment, but may not always have room in your budget or want more than one bedroom – which is why they’re also popular among single renters or couples!

Studio apartments are perfect if you like to keep your living space open and free of clutter. Though on the other hand, one of the biggest drawbacks about studio apartments though that they usually come with less space. So, if you’re looking for large rooms then this might not be the right place for you.

Living in a studio apartment also means you’ll have limited storage space. There won’t be much space for extra drawers and cabinets, not to mention any other storage options.

Baths are also pretty tiny – most studios don’t have bathtubs. They’re all just shower stalls with awkward spray nozzles coming through concrete walls.

Pros and cons of one bedroom apartment living

One bedroom apartments are often slightly more expensive than studio or condo units, and typically have a little extra room. But the benefits of both options (one bedroom apartments vs studio apartments) come down to what you need.

If you’re looking for more space, then one bedroom units will be the obvious choice for you. There’s more communal space and its kitchen and living room spaces are usually bigger in one bedroom apartments. 

You also get to have more storage space since one bedroom apartments are larger than a studio. This means it’ll be easier for you to organize everything because you have more room for all of your stuff.

A lot of people enjoy having an extra bedroom or living room outside the actual room they sleep in and work. This is because sometimes people like to use that as their “den” space where they can do anything – from playing games, watching TV before bed, to reading books at night, all while trying not to wake up their partner.

Which type of living space is best for you?

As you can see, there’s not an awful lot of differences between one bedroom apartments vs studio apartments. But they do make a huge difference for long term living arrangements.

It basically boils down to two main choices; would you pay more for lesser space, or you need more space but need to fork out more rent?

Aside from that, there’s also another factor that may drive some people away from studio apartments; there are no rooms. You’ll sleep, eat, play, and cook (if you do) all in the same space.

If you’re fine with this, then a studio apartment could work for you. But if this bothers you, then it might not be a bad idea to fork out a little extra for a one bedroom unit.

One bedroom apartment vs studio apartment: What’s your pick?

Luckily for you, there are lots of studio apartments and one bedroom apartments for you to choose from. That also means you’ll have a slightly wider range of rentals to pick from as well. If you don’t mind commuting, finding a unit far away from city centers might mean cheaper rental and bigger spaces.

So, before you pick one over the other, ask yourself again; do I need to save money, or do I need more space? And between a studio apartment vs one bedroom apartment, you’ll finally be able to answer which might be better for yourself.