As an average, it could cost around $8000 to $10,000 to furnish a one or two bedroom apartment, with the bedrooms and living rooms being the most expensive. Higher end furniture could even run between $20 to $25k for a single unit.

Let’s breakdown the cost by each space and look at what’s needed for each room.

Living Room: A sofa could cost $1500. Add another 500 for accent chairs and $200 for coffee table. Side tables cost around $50 each and you would need at least two. Add on a rug for $400 and complete your living room with lamps and a flower vase for $125. Don’t forget a tv for $1000 and paintings for around $200. Therefore living room furniture and accessories total to approximately $4000 and this is for regular furniture.

Dining Room: You would need a dining table for around $1100 and a rug for $150 totalling to $1250 for dining room furniture. 

Bedroom: In the bedroom you would need a bed frame and nightstands which could total to approximately $1250 from a good quality store. The mattress could cost you another $1100 and side lamps $50 each. Add a painting for $200 and you have a total of around $2650 for one bedroom. Add $2000 for the second bedroom. 

Bathrooms and Foyer: Mats, bench and shoe racks are some of the common accessories required and you should budget for around $300 for these spaces. 

These budgets are approximate and in the end what you spend could vary a lot depending upon what store and what quality you choose. For example, you could get a dining table for as low as $750 or as high as $5000 for the ones with a live edge. For the purpose of budgeting, this article assumes standard furniture as we are estimating for an apartment and not for a detached house. You could buy a number of cost effective furniture items from a store like IKEA.