What does this calculator do?
This tool compares two limits: a percentage of your take-home pay and the cash left after your other commitments. It returns the lower amount. That keeps a percentage rule from suggesting rent that would crowd out debt payments, essential spending, or your chosen savings goal. Utilities and mandatory housing fees are separate inputs so the result is a base-rent budget.
How to use it
- Use reliable monthly income after deductions. For variable pay, start with a conservative month.
- Add non-housing costs and utilities separately to avoid double counting.
- Protect a savings amount and choose a target rent share. Compare the result with actual listings.
The math, made clear
Rent budget = max(0, min(take-home pay × target share, take-home pay − spending − utilities − savings))A worked example
With $5,000 take-home pay, $1,800 other spending, $250 utilities, and $700 savings, the cash-based limit is $2,250. At a 35% rent target, the percentage limit is $1,750. The result is the lower amount: $1,750 monthly base rent.
What to keep in mind
The target percentage is your own planning choice. This does not estimate gross income, taxes, eligibility, local housing prices, deposits, or one-off moving costs. A zero result means your chosen commitments leave no room for rent; it is not a statement about housing eligibility.
All default values are illustrative. Results are rounded for display; calculations use full precision except where a split must allocate exact cents. Read our methodology for shared definitions and report a calculation issue if a result looks wrong.