Rent Affordability Calculator
Find how much rent you can comfortably afford on your income.
About the Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter your gross monthly income, the monthly payments on your other debts, and the share of income you're willing to spend on rent. The calculator suggests a rent, lowers it if rent plus debts would pass 36% of income, and shows the rent a landlord's 3× income rule allows.
The common guideline is to spend no more than 30% of gross income on rent; households above that are considered cost-burdened by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The formula
Rent ≤ 30% × gross monthly income
Worked example
Gross income 6,000 a month
- With 300 of debt payments: 30% × 6,000 = 1,800
- With 800 of debt payments: 36% × 6,000 − 800 = 1,360
- A landlord's 3× rule allows up to 6,000 ÷ 3 = 2,000
Things to keep in mind
- Uses gross (before-tax) income, as landlords do; check the rent also fits your take-home budget.
Questions people ask
Should utilities count?
Ideally rent plus utilities stays within the 30%.
Is 30% realistic in big cities?
Often not; the 50/30/20 budget can help balance higher rent with savings.
Why 36% for debts and rent together?
It's a widely used lender guideline for total housing and debt payments.