Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter your annual salary and select a city to calculate how much rent you can afford. Results include take-home pay after taxes, rent at different affordability levels, and a full monthly budget estimate.
Rent Affordability Calculator
Understanding the 30% Rule
The 30% rule is a widely-used guideline that suggests spending no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. This rule helps ensure you have enough left over for taxes, savings, food, transportation, and other essentials.
How it works: Take your annual salary, divide by 12 to get your gross monthly income, then multiply by 0.30. For example, a $70,000 salary means $5,833/month gross, so your max rent would be about $1,750/month.
Is 30% always right? Not necessarily. In high-cost cities you may need to stretch to 35%, while in affordable areas you might target 25% to save more aggressively. Our calculator shows all three tiers so you can decide what works for your situation.