Rent Affordability Calculator

How much rent can you comfortably afford? Enter your monthly income and the share you want to spend on rent (the classic 30% rule). Optionally enter a specific rent to see what percentage of your income it takes — and whether you'd pass the common 40× landlord test. Updates as you type.

How it works

affordable rent = monthly income × your %

40× test: annual income ≥ 40 × monthly rent

• 30% is the classic ceiling — lower it if you have debts, dependants or high living costs.
• The 40× rule is the same idea from the landlord's side: many require income ≥ 40 × rent.
• Sanity-check on net pay too — these rules use gross income, but you pay rent from take-home.

An educational guideline, not a guarantee of approval or affordability. Your real budget depends on tax, debts and lifestyle. Not financial advice.

FAQ

How much rent can I afford?

A widely used guideline is the 30% rule: spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. On a $5,000 monthly income that is $1,500. It is a starting point — high earners can often spend more, and those with debts or high costs should spend less.

What is the 30% rule?

The 30% rule says housing costs should stay at or below 30% of your gross (pre-tax) income. It dates back decades and is used by renters and lenders as a quick affordability check. This calculator lets you adjust the percentage if your situation differs.

What is the 40x rent rule?

Many landlords require your gross annual income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent (equivalently, rent ≤ annual income ÷ 40, which is the same as the 30%-ish monthly rule). The calculator shows the income a given rent implies so you can check if you would qualify.

Should I use gross or net income?

The 30% and 40× rules are based on gross (pre-tax) income, which is what landlords typically check. Remember your take-home pay is lower, so also sanity-check the rent against your actual budget after tax and other commitments.

More calculators: 50/30/20 budget calculator, mortgage affordability calculator, debt-to-income calculator, and the full tools list.