How Much Rent Can I Afford? — Rex's Toolbox

Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Annual gross income($)

Rent-to-income ratio(%)

Other monthly debt payments($)

Result

Suggested max monthly rent

$1,500

Debt-adjusted rent budget

$1,440

Annual rent total

$18,000

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How to use this

1Enter annual gross income ($).
2Enter rent-to-income ratio (%).
3Enter other monthly debt payments ($).
4Read your suggested max monthly rent on the right — it updates as you type.
5Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

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.

FormulaRent Budget = Rent-to-Income Ratio × Gross Monthly Income. Residual Check = (Gross Monthly Income − Other Debts) × Ratio.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Annual gross income: 60000 $
Rent-to-income ratio: 30 %
Other monthly debt payments: 200 $

Results

Suggested max monthly rent: $1,500
Debt-adjusted rent budget: $1,440
Annual rent total: $18,000

What each field means

Inputs

Annual gross income ($): The annual gross income used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 60000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Rent-to-income ratio (%): The rent-to-income ratio used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 15–50 %.
Other monthly debt payments ($): The other monthly debt payments used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200 $ so you have a working example on load.

Results

Suggested max monthly rent: Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Debt-adjusted rent budget: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Annual rent total: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

How much rent can I afford?

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.

Is 30% of income always the right rule?

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.

Should I use gross or net income?

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.

Does this include utilities?

No — this is base rent only; add a separate line for utilities, renter's insurance, and parking to get your true total housing cost.

Accuracy and 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.

Related tools

How Much House Can I Afford?

On $95,000 household income with typical debts, you can afford roughly a $340,000 home under the standard 28/36 rule.

How Much Do I Need for an Emergency Fund?

At $3,800 in essential monthly expenses, a 6-month emergency fund target is $22,800.

Cite this calculator

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APA

RevenueLab. (2026). How Much Rent Can I Afford?. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-rent-can-i-afford

HTML

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-rent-can-i-afford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Much Rent Can I Afford? — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>

Markdown

Source: [How Much Rent Can I Afford? — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-much-rent-can-i-afford) (2026).