Rent Calculator

Find out how much rent you can afford. Uses the 30% income rule and shows your full monthly budget after rent.

Annual Gross Income

Estimated Tax Rate

Maximum Recommended Monthly Rent

Monthly Take-Home$0

30% Rule Limit$0

After Rent Budget$0

Your rental budget by rule

📐 Formula

Max Rent (30% rule) = Take-Home Monthly Income × 0.30. Take-Home = Annual Income × (1 − Tax Rate) ÷ 12

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.How much of my income should I spend on rent?▼

The standard guideline is 30% of gross monthly income. More conservative advice suggests 25% of take-home pay. In expensive cities, many people spend 35–40%, but this leaves little room for savings.

Q.What is the 40x rent rule?▼

Many landlords require your annual gross income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. For a $2,000/month apartment, you would need to earn $80,000/year. This is a qualification rule, not a recommendation.

Q.Should the 30% be based on gross or take-home pay?▼

The traditional 30% rule uses gross income. A more practical approach is to use take-home (after-tax) pay, since that's what you actually have to spend. Using take-home gives a more conservative and realistic budget.

Q.How much rent can I afford on a $50,000 salary?▼

$50,000/year = $4,167/month gross. The 30% rule suggests a maximum rent of $1,250/month. The 30%-of-take-home rule (more realistic): after taxes, take-home is roughly $3,400; 30% = $1,020/month. In high cost-of-living markets (NYC, SF, LA), most renters spend 35–45% of gross on rent by necessity.

Q.Is the first and last month's rent plus security deposit standard in the US?▼

Requirements vary by state and landlord. Most US landlords require: first month's rent, a security deposit (usually 1–2 months' rent, capped by state law), and sometimes last month's rent. States like California cap security deposits at 2 months' rent (unfurnished). Some landlords now accept security deposit insurance instead.