What this calculator does
See what a home really costs for each square foot of space, so you can compare homes of different sizes fairly. Take a $425,000 house with 2,000 square feet and a $330,000 house with 1,400 square feet. They're hard to compare by price alone. But at $212.50 and about $235.71 per square foot, the smaller one turns out to be the pricier space. Agents, appraisers, builders and renters all use this number as a quick first check.
This calculator divides a price by an area, in square feet or square meters. It gives you the result per square foot and per square meter. It also works the other way. Enter a price per square foot, from recent sales nearby or a builder's quote, plus an area, and it gives you the total.
Where it's used
Why this math matters outside the classroom:
- House hunting. A buyer compares a $425,000 home of 2,000 ft² ($212.50 per ft²) with a $330,000 home of 1,400 ft² (about $235.71).
- Building estimates. A family multiplies a builder's $185.50 per ft² by an 1,850 ft² plan to get a $343,175 estimate.
- Office leases. A small business divides $36,000 a year in rent by 1,200 ft² to find it pays $30 per square foot per year.
- Metric listings. Someone moving abroad converts $200 per ft² to about $2,152.78 per m² to compare with local listings.
- Unit rates in class. Students find a unit rate by dividing $300,000 by 1,500 ft², which gives $200 for each square foot.
Grade level and standards: Grade 6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.RP.A.3.b, 6.RP.A.3.d. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
How to use it
- Choose whether you want the price per square foot or a total price.
- Enter the price, or the price per square foot or per square meter.
- Enter the area and pick square feet or square meters.
- Read the result in both units, along with the area in both units.
What the inputs mean
- Price
- The sale price, asking price, rent or building cost.
- Price per unit area
- Use a number from homes like yours: the same area, age, condition and type. A per-square-foot number from a different kind of property can be far off.
- Area
- For US homes, listings and appraisals usually give the finished living space above ground. Garages, unfinished basements and porches are usually left out. So make sure the homes you compare were measured the same way.
Formula and method
price per ft² = price ÷ area in ft² price per m² = price ÷ area in m² total price = price per unit area × area in the same unit 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m² exactly; 1 m² ≈ 10.7639 ft²
In the formulas, ft² means square feet and m² means square meters. The price per area is a unit rate: dollars for each square foot. Dividing the price by the area gives it. Multiplying a rate by an area takes you back to the total.
A square meter is about 10.76 square feet. So a price per square meter is about 10.76 times the price per square foot. The conversion uses the exact definition 1 ft = 0.3048 m, squared.
Worked example
A 1,500 square foot home listed at $300,000.
- Area in square meters: 1,500 × 0.09290304 = 139.3546 m².
- Price per square foot: $300,000 ÷ 1,500 = $200.00.
- Price per square meter: $300,000 ÷ 139.3546 = $2,152.78.
Result: The home costs $200.00 per square foot, or about $2,152.78 per square meter.
Understanding the result
Compare your result with recent sales of similar homes nearby. A listing well above the local number may be overpriced. Or it may have features the number doesn't capture, such as a big lot or a new kitchen.
Smaller homes usually cost more per square foot than bigger ones in the same area. That's because the kitchen, bathrooms and land carry a fixed cost, however big the house is. Compare homes of similar size where you can.
Assumptions and limitations
- The price and area describe the same thing. That could be the whole property price over the living area, or the cost of a job over the area it covers.
- Areas in square meters are changed to square feet with the exact international foot.
- Price per square foot ignores location, lot size, condition, layout and age, which often matter more than size. It's a first check, not an appraisal.
- Listings, builders and countries measure area in different ways. So two quoted areas for the same home can disagree.
- For building work, a quoted cost per square foot may or may not include land, permits, site work and finishes. Check what's included.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate price per square foot?
Divide the price by the square footage. A $425,000 home with 2,000 square feet costs $425,000 ÷ 2,000 = $212.50 per square foot.
What area should I use for a house?
Use the finished living area from the listing or appraisal. Then use the same kind of area for every home you compare. If you count a garage or unfinished basement for one home and not another, the comparison stops meaning anything.
How do I convert price per square foot to price per square meter?
Multiply by about 10.764, the number of square feet in a square meter. $200 per square foot is about $2,152.78 per square meter. To go the other way, divide by 10.764.
Can I use this for rent or flooring?
Yes. Divide a yearly or monthly rent by the area to compare apartments or office space. Or divide a flooring quote by the area it covers. Just keep the time period, and what's included, the same for every option.
How this calculator is checked
Method: Unit rate: price ÷ area; exact area conversion 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m² from the international foot (0.3048 m). The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.
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