Rent Calculator
Find out how much rent fits your budget. Enter your income and monthly debts to get a recommended rent using the popular 30% rule, plus a more conservative cap.
Your income
How to use this calculator
1. Enter your gross income
Toggle between annual and monthly, then enter your income before taxes. If you choose annual, it's divided by 12 to get the monthly figure used in the math.
2. Add your monthly debts
Include recurring obligations like car payments, student loans, and minimum credit-card payments. These feed the conservative cap, which leaves room for them.
3. Pick a rule
The 30% rule is the common recommendation. Choose 28% to be more cautious, or set your own custom percentage if your situation calls for it.
4. Compare the two numbers
The headline figure applies your chosen percentage to income. The conservative max instead caps total debt-plus-rent at 36% of income and subtracts what you already owe — a useful reality check.
About rent affordability
What is the 30% rule?
The 30% rule is a common guideline that suggests spending no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. On a $6,000 monthly income that works out to about $1,800. It's a starting point, not a hard limit — your own budget, debts, and savings goals matter too.
Gross or net income?
The classic rules use gross income — your pay before taxes and deductions. Because your take-home pay is lower, leaning toward the conservative cap, which also subtracts your other debts, gives a more realistic picture of what fits your actual cash flow.
Where the conservative cap comes from
It borrows the 36% total-debt guideline that lenders often use: at most 36% of gross monthly income should go to all debt payments combined. Subtracting your existing monthly debts from that leaves the amount realistically available for rent.