{
  "slug": "how-much-rent-can-i-afford",
  "title": "How Much Rent Can I Afford?",
  "heading": "How Much Rent Can I Afford?",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-rent-can-i-afford",
  "summary": "On a $60,000 salary, the classic 30% rule puts your affordable rent around $1,500 a month.",
  "description": "The traditional guideline caps rent at 30% of gross monthly income, though renters with heavy other debt should use a tighter ratio against take-home pay. This tool applies your chosen rent-to-income ratio to your gross income, then cross-checks it against a residual-income view that subtracts your other monthly obligations, so you see both the rule-of-thumb number and a more realistic budget-based number.",
  "formula": "Rent Budget = Rent-to-Income Ratio × Gross Monthly Income. Residual Check = (Gross Monthly Income − Other Debts) × Ratio.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-06",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=how-much-rent-can-i-afford",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "income",
      "label": "Annual gross income",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "ratio",
      "label": "Rent-to-income ratio",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 30,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 15,
      "max": 50
    },
    {
      "id": "debts",
      "label": "Other monthly debt payments",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 200,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "rentBudget",
      "label": "Suggested max monthly rent",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "residualBudget",
      "label": "Debt-adjusted rent budget",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "annualRent",
      "label": "Annual rent total",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Annual gross income: 60000 $",
      "Rent-to-income ratio: 30 %",
      "Other monthly debt payments: 200 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Suggested max monthly rent: $1,500",
      "Debt-adjusted rent budget: $1,440",
      "Annual rent total: $18,000"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter annual gross income ($).",
      "Enter rent-to-income ratio (%).",
      "Enter other monthly debt payments ($).",
      "Read your suggested max monthly rent on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "income": 36000,
        "ratio": 18,
        "debts": 125
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "income": 60000,
        "ratio": 30,
        "debts": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "income": 96000,
        "ratio": 48,
        "debts": 325
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How much rent can I afford?",
      "a": "On $60,000 gross annual income at the standard 30% guideline, your monthly gross income is $5,000, putting affordable rent around $1,500 a month, or $1,440 if you also carry $200/month in other debt."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is 30% of income always the right rule?",
      "a": "It's a starting point, not a hard law — renters in high-cost cities often go to 35-40% out of necessity, while those aggressively saving or with heavy debt should target 20-25% instead."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I use gross or net income?",
      "a": "Landlords typically screen against gross income, but for your own budgeting, checking the number against net (take-home) pay gives a more honest picture of what you can actually sustain."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this include utilities?",
      "a": "No — this is base rent only; add a separate line for utilities, renter's insurance, and parking to get your true total housing cost."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-house-can-i-afford",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-do-i-need-for-emergency-fund"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — How Much Rent Can I Afford? (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-rent-can-i-afford)"
}