First apartment bills: plan your recurring costs

1. A complete starter checklist for regular costs

Use this list to check your documents. Not every item applies to every apartment. Confirm which service charges and utilities are already included in your rent.

• Rent and agreed recurring service charges
• Electricity; gas, heating or water if paid separately
• Internet service and any recurring router rental
• Mobile phone contract
• Household broadcasting fees, local taxes or similar charges where applicable
• Your insurance premiums, such as liability or contents insurance
• Regular travel costs, transit pass, parking or vehicle costs
• Streaming, music, cloud storage and other ongoing subscriptions
• Memberships, such as a sports club or gym
• Regular financing or loan repayments, if any

This is a list of possible contract costs. Applicable fees and obligations depend on your location and situation; check them with the relevant provider.

2. Plan one-off costs and variable spending separately

A deposit, moving, furniture and initial supplies add costs when you move in. Groceries, household purchases and leisure vary each month. Utility adjustments can also differ from your regular instalment.

Give these their own amounts and an appropriate buffer in your wider household plan. Kalvo’s recurring cost plan covers regular agreed bills. It does not calculate the money left after income and every purchase.

3. A complete worked month

These amounts are illustrative calculations, not recommended budgets or current market prices. Replace them with your own contracts.

The monthly contracts total €1,100. The annual bill adds a €10 monthly share. Together, that is an average of €1,110 per month or €13,320 per year.

4. The average is not next month’s payment total

If contents insurance is due in November, this example has €1,220 in bills that month: €1,100 of monthly costs plus the full €120 annual premium. In a month without that annual bill, the planned payments total €1,100.

Add the next due date to each contract. The bill calendar lets you inspect individual months and see when larger payments coincide. Entering the same insurance again as a €10 monthly bill would count that contract twice.

5. Turn the list into a maintained plan

Calculate your own contracts in the fixed cost calculator. Add their due dates and download the CSV file. Save it in Files on your iPhone, then select it in Kalvo under More → Export & Import → Import transactions. Review the preview and confirm the import.

• Check imported amounts and intervals. Use the same currency in Kalvo as in the tool.
• Confirm the first date for each contract and add suitable categories in the app.
• Choose next month in Overview; less frequent bills appear in Reserves.
• Enable local reminders if useful. They remind you before a payment date, not when a contract is signed.
• Update the plan when a payment changes, you move or a contract ends.

Kalvo is available for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Up to 10 active recurring bills and 2 reserves are free; CSV import is available within these limits. Avoid importing the same bill more than once.

6. A quick check at the start of each month

Compare new contract notices with your list. Has an amount changed? Is an annual bill coming? Has a contract ended? Update those entries.

For a full household budget, consider income, variable spending and available money alongside your recurring bills. Kalvo provides the costs and due dates without a bank connection.