Enter your income and expenses to instantly find your safe rent range — based on real financial guidelines.
Enter your income and expenses to see your rent budget.
The most widely used guideline: spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. Originally set by the U.S. government in the 1960s as a housing affordability benchmark.
Allocate 50% of take-home pay to needs (rent, food, utilities), 30% to wants, and 20% to savings. Rent alone should ideally stay under 25–30% of your take-home pay.
Landlords and lenders look at your total monthly debt vs. income. Keep total housing + debt payments under 43% of gross income for the strongest financial position.
On a $50,000 annual salary (about $4,167/month gross), the 30% rule suggests a maximum rent of around $1,250/month. After taxes, your take-home may be closer to $3,200–$3,400, making $800–$1,000/month a more comfortable target if you also have debt or want to save.
Landlords typically use gross (pre-tax) income — many require rent to be no more than 30% of gross. For your own budgeting, use net (take-home) income so you know what you can actually afford after taxes.
In cities like New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, the 30% rule is often impossible to meet. Many residents spend 40–50% on rent. If you must exceed 30%, try to compensate by cutting other expenses and building an emergency fund of 3–6 months expenses.
Most landlords require tenants to earn at least 2.5–3x the monthly rent. So for a $1,500/month apartment, you'd typically need to show $3,750–$4,500/month in gross income. Some landlords also check credit score, rental history, and employment verification.
This calculator lets you enter your estimated utilities separately so you can see the full picture. When comparing apartments, always check whether utilities are included in the rent — it can make a $200–$400/month difference in total housing cost.