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Rent affordability calculator

How Much Rent Can I Afford?

Estimate rent targets from income using practical percentage rules. Compare monthly, weekly, 4-week, and annual amounts before treating a landlord rule as a personal budget.

Enter your income for the selected period. Currency symbols, commas, and decimals are accepted.

Rent targets
Annualized income
$72,000.00

Based on the income amount and period selected above.

25% of income (Conservative)
$1,500.00 / month
$345.21 / week
$1,380.82 / 4 weeks
Annual rent: $18,000.00
Rent share: 25.00%
30% of income (Common target)
$1,800.00 / month
$414.25 / week
$1,656.99 / 4 weeks
Annual rent: $21,600.00
Rent share: 30.00%
35% of income (Upper range)
$2,100.00 / month
$483.29 / week
$1,933.15 / 4 weeks
Annual rent: $25,200.00
Rent share: 35.00%

These are income-share estimates. Actual affordability depends on your full budget.

How this calculator worksHow much rent can I afford?

Use income, target rent, and rent-to-income rules as a starting point for a realistic rent budget. The useful question is not only the maximum number, but what the rent leaves behind for everything else.

What this calculation clarifies

  1. 1
    Income rules are shortcuts, not approvals

    A 30% rule, 2.5x rent rule, or 3x rent rule can screen a rental budget quickly, but landlords and personal budgets can use different standards.

  2. 2
    Rent is only one housing cost

    Utilities, renters insurance, parking, deposits, moving costs, debt payments, and savings goals can all change what feels affordable.

  3. 3
    Gross and take-home income tell different stories

    Gross income is useful for common qualification rules. Take-home income is often better for monthly cash-flow planning.

Worked examples

$60k income at 30%

$60,000 per year gives a rough rent target of $1,500 per month at 30% of gross income. That still needs to be checked against take-home pay and bills.

3x rent qualification

For $1,800 rent, a 3x rule points to about $5,400 monthly income, or $64,800 per year. Some landlords may calculate this before tax.

Paycheck reality check

A rent that looks fine against salary can feel tight if take-home pay is lower because of taxes, benefits, debt, or irregular hours.

Useful context

  • Use the result as a planning number before you apply, not as a guarantee of approval.
  • If you are comparing rent to paychecks, the paycheck calculator may be more practical than an annual salary rule.

Related calculators

Rent as percentage of incomeIncome requiredRent vs take-home payRent per paycheck

When affordability context helps

  • Setting a rent cap before touring or applying.
  • Comparing a rent number with salary, monthly income, or take-home pay.
  • Understanding whether rent leaves enough room for bills, savings, and debt.

Check before relying on it

  • This is not a landlord approval decision, legal advice, or a full household budget.

Related calculators

Rent vs take-home payRent per paycheckRent percentage

Frequently Asked Questions

These answers explain how rent targets are estimated from income and why actual affordability can differ.

What does this calculator estimate?▾
It estimates rent targets based on different shares of your income.
Is this telling me what rent I should pay?▾
No. It shows income-based rent targets. Your actual budget may be lower depending on debt, savings, utilities, transportation, and other costs.
Why does the calculator annualize income?▾
Annualizing income lets different income periods be compared on the same basis.
Why are multiple percentages shown?▾
Different households use different rent-to-income targets. Showing 25%, 30%, and 35% makes the tradeoff easier to compare.
Does this include utilities or other housing costs?▾
No. It compares rent to income only. Add utilities, parking, insurance, internet, and other housing costs separately.
Why does every 4 weeks differ from monthly?▾
A 4-week period is 28 days. An average month is about 30.42 days.
Can this be used with hourly or variable income?▾
It can provide estimates, but irregular income makes fixed-period comparisons less reliable.
What assumptions are used?▾
The calculator uses 365 days per year and 365 ÷ 12 days per average month.