Rent Affordability Calculator
How much rent can you actually afford on your salary.
Monthly take-home
$4,875
Effective tax rate 22% (gross monthly $6,250)
30% rule
$1,875
monthly rent
Left after rent: $3,000
comfortable
40% rule
$2,500
monthly rent
Left after rent: $2,375
stretch
50% rule
$3,125
monthly rent
Left after rent: $1,750
tight
The 30% rule is the common rent ceiling. 40% is a stretch in high cost cities. Above 50% leaves little for savings or anything else.
About
The 30% rule says spend no more than 30% of gross income on rent. That's outdated in expensive cities and conservative in cheap ones. This calculator shows the 30/40/50 thresholds and what's left for everything else after rent and taxes.
How to use
- Enter your gross annual income.
- Pick your tax situation.
- See the 30%, 40%, and 50% thresholds, plus what's left over.
FAQ
Why three thresholds?+
30% is the classic guideline. 40% is common in NYC and SF. 50% is the upper limit before you can't save or absorb a job loss.
Does it count utilities?+
No. The thresholds are for base rent. Add roughly $100-200 for utilities depending on the apartment size.