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Rent Affordability Calculator: What Fits Your Budget?

Calculate how much rent fits your take-home pay, utilities, living costs, debt and savings. Check a specific rent and see your balance or shortfall.

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Rent Affordability Calculator: What Fits Your Budget?
Available income for the household you are planning for. All defaults are invented examples.
The rent for the home you are considering, excluding housing costs entered separately.
Utilities, internet, renters insurance, mandatory recurring fees and other housing costs. Count included charges only once.
Exclude housing and debt payments. Include the monthly share of annual bills.
Food, transport, health, leisure and other variable spending.
Full payments including interest. Do not repeat them in fixed bills.
Your own planned amount. Reserves for annual bills are already included with other fixed bills.

This calculation runs on our server and is not stored – neither your result nor your entry.

Example: the calculation with the default values

The defaults are example values, not an average. Enter your own numbers and press “Calculate” to run it with yours.

Left after your plan

$350.00

This amount remains after all entered expenses and your savings buffer. Any missing costs still need to come out of it.

Calculated room for base rent
$1,550.00
Total monthly housing costs
$1,500.00
Housing share of take-home income
42.9%

Room for rent is a calculated ceiling based on your entries, not a recommendation to use it all. The percentage does not decide whether a home suits you.

Housing$1,500.00Other expenses$1,350.00Savings and buffer$300.00
Expenses and reserves. Your remaining balance is shown separately above.
Your monthly budget in detail
ItemPer month
Take-home income$3,500.00
Base rent$1,200.00
Other housing costs$300.00
Other bills and reserves$350.00
Living expenses$750.00
Debt payments$250.00
Savings and safety buffer$300.00
Left after your plan$350.00

Plan the deposit, moving and furnishings separately as upfront cash needs. A monthly surplus does not show whether that money is available at move-in.

Plan bill reserves

Assumptions behind this calculation

  • Monthly plan using your amounts, with no fixed rent ratio. Count each expense once. Convert annual bills to monthly amounts first. Excludes upfront costs, future price changes, account balances and any lease or tenant eligibility assessment. Defaults are invented examples.

How we calculate

Take-home income minus other housing costs, other fixed bills, living expenses, debt payments and savings gives the calculated room for base rent. Subtract the base rent you entered to find the balance left after your plan.

Base rent plus other housing costs gives total housing costs. Divide this amount by take-home income for the housing share. Without income, that percentage cannot be calculated. It describes your plan and is not a recommendation.

All amounts cover the same household and month. Convert annual bills to monthly amounts first. Negative room for rent stays negative because the rest of the plan already exceeds income. Defaults are invented examples.

The reasoning behind these numbers, with sources, is in the article: How much rent can I afford? Start with your budget.

Frequently asked

How much rent can I afford?

The invented example leaves $1,550.00 for base rent after other expenses and savings. The entered rent leaves $350.00 unallocated. Replace every amount with your own; the ceiling is not a recommendation to spend it all.

Should I use gross income or take-home pay?

Use take-home pay available to your household. A landlord may use a different income test, but that does not replace your own spending plan. This calculator does not assess tenant eligibility.

What goes in other housing costs?

Utilities, internet, renters insurance, mandatory recurring fees and other housing costs not already included in rent. Read the actual offer and count each charge once.

Are deposits and moving costs included?

No. Plan those upfront cash needs separately. You can have a monthly surplus and still lack the cash required to move in. For roommates or couples, use either the whole household consistently or only your own income and share of expenses.

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