Rent Affordability Calculator

Find out how much rent you can afford based on your income, debts, and budgeting rules.

Ваши данные

Доход

$
$

Monthly Debts

$
$
$
$

Предпочтения

$

Enter your monthly income, debts, and preferences to see how much rent you can afford.

Полное руководство пользователя

What is the Rent Affordability Calculator?

This calculator estimates how much rent you can afford based on your gross monthly income, existing debt payments, and common budgeting rules. It uses the 30%% rule (rent should not exceed 30%% of gross income), the 28/36 rule, and the 50/30/20 framework to give you a range of affordable rent amounts.

You enter your income, monthly debt (car, loans, credit cards), estimated utilities, and a preferred rent percentage. The result shows recommended rent, budget breakdown, and rent by different guidelines.

Key Rules

30% Rule

Rent should not exceed 30% of your gross monthly income. This is the most common guideline for rent affordability.

28/36 Rule

Housing (rent + utilities) should not exceed 28% of gross income; total debt (housing + other debts) should not exceed 36%.

50/30/20 Rule

50% of take-home pay for needs (rent, utilities, food), 30% for wants, 20% for savings. Rent is part of the 50% needs bucket.

Ключевые понятия

Gross income

Income before taxes. The 30% rule uses gross (not take-home) income for consistency with how landlords often qualify tenants.

Monthly obligations

Car payments, student loans, credit card minimums, and other debt. Higher debt reduces how much you can safely put toward rent under the 36% rule.

After rent

Estimated remaining after rent, utilities, and debt. This is for food, savings, and other expenses; a positive number is essential.

Как использовать этот калькулятор

  1. Enter your gross monthly income (before taxes). Add any additional monthly income if needed.
  2. Enter your monthly debt payments: car, student loans, credit cards, other.
  3. Choose a rent budget rule (e.g. 30%) and estimated utilities.
  4. Click Calculate to see recommended rent, breakdown chart, and rent by guideline.
  5. Use the table and charts to compare conservative vs maximum rent levels.

Понимание ваших результатов

Recommended monthly rent

Based on the 30% rule by default. You can choose a different percentage in the form to see a custom recommendation.

Budget breakdown

Shows how your income is allocated: rent, utilities, debt payments, and remaining. Remaining should cover food, savings, and discretionary spending.

Rent by rule

Different guidelines (25% to 35%) give different monthly rent amounts. Conservative (25%) leaves more buffer; 35% is often considered the upper limit.

Понимание графиков

Budget Breakdown

A doughnut chart showing rent, utilities, debt payments, and remaining after those obligations. Helps you see at a glance how much is left for other expenses.

Rent by Rule (%)

Bar chart comparing monthly rent at 25%%, 28%%, 30%%, 33%%, and 35%% of gross income. Use it to pick a rent level that fits your budget.

Важные примечания

  • Results are estimates. Taxes and take-home pay are approximated; actual budgets depend on your situation.
  • Factor in renters insurance, parking, and moving costs (first month, last month, security deposit) when planning.
  • Keeping rent at or below 30%% of gross income helps maintain flexibility for savings and emergencies.

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