Studio or one-bedroom apartment — which suits whom?
Short answer
A studio is one open room holding the living, sleeping and kitchen space together, with its own bathroom; a one-bedroom flat separates the bedroom from the living space by a wall and a door. The studio gives less space for a lower price, the one-bedroom more space and more privacy.
What is a studio, exactly?
A studio is a single main room that holds the living area, the sleeping area and the kitchen together, with a separate bathroom. There is no wall between the bed and the sitting or cooking space; the kitchen sits along one side of the same room, and the entrance opens straight into it. It is the smallest layout sold as a complete home.
What is a one-bedroom apartment?
A one-bedroom apartment has a living room and a separate bedroom, divided by a wall and a door. The kitchen may be open to the living room or closed in its own corner, and the bathroom serves the whole flat. The bedroom closes, which the studio's sleeping corner cannot.
How do the two differ in space and price?
The two are the same home with one extra wall and one extra room. A studio concentrates every daily activity in one space; a one-bedroom separates rest from the rest of the day and adds the square metres that wall and room occupy. Measured per square metre, they sit close together; measured as a purchase, the one-bedroom costs more because it carries more built-up area. Compare the two by the built-up area each listing states, not by the number of rooms alone.
Which one suits a single buyer or a couple?
A studio suits one person, or a couple, who wants a home of their own at the lowest entry cost and does not need a room set apart. Its single space is enough for daily living, and its price and its running costs are the smallest of any layout. Buyers who travel for work, or keep the unit for part of the year, find the compact space easy to leave and easy to rent out.
Which one suits a family, or someone who works from home?
A one-bedroom suits a household that needs the bedroom to close: a couple with a child, or one person who wants a room apart for sleep or for work. The separate room can hold a desk behind a door that shuts, which a studio's open space cannot give. Where the household needs a second room, the one-bedroom is the smallest layout that begins to answer it.
How does the choice affect rent and resale?
Renters look for the layout that fits their household: a studio draws one person or a couple, a one-bedroom draws a small family. On resale, the one-bedroom reaches more households because it is the smaller home a family can use. The studio reaches the narrowest group and the lowest budget. What you pay for either is the asking price on the listing, and the catalogue holds what sellers ask.
What should I check before I choose?
Read the built-up area on the listing, not the name of the layout alone, because two studios differ in size and two one-bedrooms do too. Check whether the kitchen is open or closed, whether the bedroom has a window of its own, and how much of the living space the kitchen takes. Ask for the plan of the exact unit, and read it beside the payment plan and the delivery year, so the layout you are buying is the one drawn.
Updated 11 October 2026