Split calculator
Split any cost — a bill, a booking, a tank of fuel, a shared gift — between any number of people. Enter the amount, set the headcount, and the per-person figure updates as you type. Nothing to install, no signup.
Short answer
To split a cost, add any tip or tax first, then divide the total by the number of people sharing it. Round each share to the nearest cent and let one person absorb the leftover cents so the shares still add up to the exact total.
Number of people
Each person pays
$0.00
- Total
- $0.00
Several costs, and different people paid for different things?
Open full group expense calculatorHow it works
- 1Type the amount you need to split — one bill, one booking, or a running total.
- 2Set how many people are sharing it with the plus and minus buttons.
- 3Add a tip or tax percentage if it is not already included in the amount.
- 4Read the per-person figure, and the remainder line when it does not divide evenly.
An even split is the right tool when everyone benefits equally from the same cost: a table of six sharing plates, four people in one taxi, five people in one hotel room, a group gift.
It stops being fair as soon as consumption differs — one person skipping the wine, someone joining for two nights of a five-night booking, one flatmate taking the big bedroom. In those cases split the shared part evenly and charge the personal part directly, or move to the full group calculator and log who paid for what.
Worked examples with real numbers
An amount that divides cleanly
Four friends share a 96 taxi from the airport, plus a 10% tip for the driver. One person pays the whole fare on their card.
| Building the total | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fare | 96.00 |
| Tip (10% of 96) | 9.60 |
| Total | 105.60 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payer | 105.60 | 26.40 | +79.20 |
| Rider 2 | 0.00 | 26.40 | −26.40 |
| Rider 3 | 0.00 | 26.40 | −26.40 |
| Rider 4 | 0.00 | 26.40 | −26.40 |
- Rider 2Payer26.40
- Rider 3Payer26.40
- Rider 4Payer26.40
105.60 ÷ 4 = 26.40 each. The payer is out of pocket 79.20, which comes back as three transfers of 26.40. Tip goes in before the division — adding it afterwards leaves the payer short.
An amount that does not divide evenly
Three flatmates split a 100 internet bill. 100 ÷ 3 = 33.333…, so exact thirds are impossible in cents.
| Rounding the shares | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bill | 100.00 |
| Raw share (100 ÷ 3) | 33.33 |
| Rounded share | 33.33 |
| Remainder to absorb | 0.01 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payer | 100.00 | 33.34 | +66.66 |
| Flatmate 2 | 0.00 | 33.33 | −33.33 |
| Flatmate 3 | 0.00 | 33.33 | −33.33 |
- Flatmate 2Payer33.33
- Flatmate 3Payer33.33
Two people pay 33.33 and the payer keeps 33.34, so the shares total exactly 100. Never round every share up — three shares of 33.34 collect 100.02 and the payer quietly profits by 2 cents.
The split formula
1. Gross total
amount + (amount × tip%) + (amount × tax%)
2. Raw share
gross total ÷ number of people
3. Rounded share
raw share rounded to 2 decimals
4. Remainder
gross total − (rounded share × number of people)
Add the remainder to one person's share — conventionally whoever fronted the money.
Add percentages to the amount before dividing. Dividing first and then adding a tip per person gives the same figure only when everyone's share is identical.
Which split method fits the cost
| Situation | Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One bill, everyone shared it | Even split | Equal benefit, so equal share |
| One bill, one expensive personal item | Charge the item, split the rest evenly | Keeps the shared part simple without overcharging the group |
| Booking where people stay different nights | Split each night among that night's guests | Nobody pays for nights they weren't there |
| Many costs, several different payers | Full group calculator | Needs net balances and a minimal set of transfers, not one division |
Pick the simplest method that still matches who actually benefited.
Mistakes that cause arguments
Adding the tip after dividing
Tip and tax are percentages of the bill, so they belong in the total before the split. Bolting them on afterwards usually leaves the person who paid short.
Rounding every share up
Rounding all shares to the next cent collects more than the bill. Round to the nearest cent and give the leftover cents to a single person.
Splitting evenly when one person spent far more
An even split is only fair when consumption was roughly equal. One person's 60 bottle of wine inside a 200 bill distorts every other share by 12.
Forgetting the payer is also a participant
The person who paid owes their own share too — they are owed the total minus their share, not the whole total.
Practical tips
- Settle on the day. Memory of who paid what fades fast, and small amounts are the ones people forget entirely.
- Screenshot or share the result so nobody has to trust anyone else's arithmetic.
- For recurring shared costs, keep the same payer each month and settle once — fewer transfers, fewer rounding leftovers.
- If a cost keeps growing over a trip, stop dividing single amounts and switch to the group calculator so every payment is logged as you go.
Questions
- What can I use a split calculator for?
- Anything shared by a fixed number of people: a restaurant bill, a taxi, a hotel room, fuel, a group gift, a subscription, or a deposit. The maths is the same — amount divided by headcount, with tip or tax added first if needed.
- What happens when the amount does not divide evenly?
- Round each share to the nearest cent and give the leftover cents to one person — usually whoever paid. On 100 split three ways that means two people pay 33.33 and one pays 33.34.
- Can I split unevenly, or across several costs?
- Yes. Switch to the full group calculator, add each person and each expense with who paid, and it works out the smallest set of transfers that settles everyone up.
- Is anything saved or shared?
- No account and no upload — the numbers stay in your browser. If you want to send the result to the group, use the share button to generate a link or an image of the settlement.