True Cost Per Desk at a Coworking Space

This calculator works out the real cost per desk at a coworking space by dividing all your occupancy expenses — rent, utilities, internet, cleaning, insurance, and more — by the number of desks you actually have available. You enter your monthly totals and desk count, and you get back the true cost per desk per month, plus a per-day figure to help with pricing and budgeting.

Formula

Cost per desk per month = (Rent + Utilities + Internet + Cleaning + Insurance + Other) ÷ Number of desks

Where:

• Rent = monthly base rent for the space (USD)
• Utilities = monthly electric, water, gas, and heating/cooling (USD)
• Internet = monthly internet and phone service (USD)
• Cleaning = monthly cleaning service and supplies (USD)
• Insurance = monthly liability and property insurance premium (USD)
• Other = any other monthly operating costs (USD)
• Number of desks = total desks available for members (count)

To get the per-day cost, divide the monthly per-desk cost by 30 (or by the actual number of days in the month).

Worked Example

Using the default values:

• Rent = $3,000
• Utilities = $400
• Internet = $150
• Cleaning = $200
• Insurance = $100
• Other = $150
• Desks = 20

Step 1: Add all monthly costs:

$3,000 + $400 + $150 + $200 + $100 + $150 = $4,000

Step 2: Divide by the number of desks:

$4,000 ÷ 20 = $200 per desk per month

Step 3: For a 30-day month, divide by 30:

$200 ÷ 30 = $6.67 per desk per day

The calculator shows the same result: $200.00 per desk per month and $6.67 per desk per day.

When to Use This

Use this calculation when you are setting membership prices, evaluating whether a coworking space is profitable, comparing two locations, or deciding whether to add more desks. It gives you the baseline cost before you add any margin or profit. It also helps you understand the impact of empty desks — if you have 20 desks but only 15 are rented, the true cost per occupied desk is higher, so you may need to adjust pricing or occupancy targets.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting variable costs: Many people only include rent and utilities, but miss cleaning, internet, insurance, and maintenance. These can add 20–30% to the true cost.
• Using occupied desks instead of total desks: The cost per desk should be based on all available desks, not just the ones currently rented. If you use occupied desks, you get the cost per occupied desk, which is useful but different.
• Mixing monthly and annual figures: If you enter an annual insurance premium instead of a monthly one, your result will be wildly off. Convert everything to monthly before adding.
• Ignoring one-time costs: Furniture, renovation, and equipment purchases are not monthly operating costs, but they do affect your break-even. Consider amortizing them over their useful life and adding that monthly amount.
• Rounding too early: Round only the final result, not intermediate steps, to avoid small errors that can compound.

Tips

• Review your actual bills from the last 3–6 months to get an average, rather than using a single month that might be unusually high or low.
• Include a line for “miscellaneousâ€� or “otherâ€� — there is always something you forgot, like coffee, printer paper, or minor repairs.
• If you have different desk types (hot desks, dedicated desks, private offices), calculate a weighted average or do separate calculations for each type.
• Use the per-day figure to compare with daily drop-in rates, but remember that daily rates usually include more overhead per desk because of cleaning and turnover.
• Re-calculate quarterly or whenever your rent or utility bills change significantly.

Troubleshooting

If your result seems too high or too low, check the following:

• Units: Are all costs in the same currency and time period? If you entered an annual insurance premium, divide by 12 first.
• Desk count: Did you count all desks, including those in meeting rooms or common areas? Only count desks that are actually available for members.
• Missing costs: Did you include property taxes, security, or marketing? Add them to “Otherâ€� if they are recurring monthly expenses.
• Zero or negative result: If you entered a negative number for any cost, the calculator will give a negative result. Check your inputs.

If the result is still off, double-check your arithmetic manually — it is easy to misplace a decimal point when adding large numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I include my own salary as an operating cost?

If you are calculating the true cost to run the space, yes — include the time you spend managing it. If you are just comparing rent options, you can leave it out, but remember that your labor has value.

What about depreciation on furniture and equipment?

Depreciation is a real cost, but it is not a monthly cash expense. To include it, estimate the useful life of your furniture (e.g., 5 years) and divide the total cost by the number of months. Add that monthly amount to “Other.�

How do I account for empty desks?

The calculator gives you the cost per available desk. If you want the cost per occupied desk, divide the total monthly costs by the average number of occupied desks instead. This shows you how much you need to charge each member to break even.

Is the per-day cost accurate for months with different lengths?

The calculator uses 30 days for simplicity. For a specific month, divide the monthly per-desk cost by the actual number of days in that month (28, 30, or 31).

Can I use this for a single private office?

Yes, but the “desk� would be the office itself. Use 1 as the desk count, and include all costs attributable to that office (rent, utilities, cleaning, etc.). This gives you the monthly cost of that office.

What if I have multiple revenue streams (meeting room rentals, events)?

This calculation focuses on desk costs. To see the full picture, subtract revenue from meeting rooms and events from the total costs before dividing by desks, or run a separate calculation for those revenue streams.

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in monthly_rent | Monthly rent | USD | 3000 | 0
in utilities | Utilities (electric, water, gas) | USD | 400 | 0
in internet | Internet & phone | USD | 150 | 0
in cleaning | Cleaning & supplies | USD | 200 | 0
in insurance | Insurance | USD | 100 | 0
in other | Other operating costs | USD | 150 | 0
in desks | Number of desks | count | 20 | 1
out cost_per_desk | Cost per desk per month | USD | (monthly_rent + utilities + internet + cleaning + insurance + other) / desks | 2
out cost_per_day | Cost per desk per day (30-day month) | USD | ((monthly_rent + utilities + internet + cleaning + insurance + other) / desks) / 30 | 2