Rent Calculator
$
30%
0
Max Rent$1,500.00
Per Person Share$1,500.00
This rent calculator translates the budgeting rule of thumb that housing should take a fixed slice of your income into a concrete monthly rent ceiling, then splits that ceiling across roommates. You enter your monthly income, choose what percentage of it you are willing to spend on rent, and set how many roommates you have, and it shows your affordable rent and your personal share. It is a fast affordability check for apartment hunting and shared-living arrangements.
Formula
Max rent = Income × (Percent ÷ 100); Per-person share = Max rent ÷ (Roommates + 1)
- Income
- Monthly income in dollars
- Percent
- Share of income allocated to rent (20-50%)
- Roommates
- Number of additional people splitting the rent
- Per-person share
- Total affordable rent divided among all occupants
How it works
- Enter your gross Monthly Income in dollars.
- Set the Percent of Income for Rent slider (20%-50% in 1% steps); the common 30% guideline is a sensible default.
- Set the Number of Roommates slider (0-5). Max Rent is income times the percentage, and Per Person Share divides that total rent evenly across you plus your roommates.
Worked example
Someone earning $5,000 per month using the 30% rule with one roommate.
- Max rent = 5,000 × (30 ÷ 100) = 5,000 × 0.30 = $1,500.
- Occupants = 1 roommate + you = 2, so per-person share = 1,500 ÷ 2 = $750.
You can afford about $1,500 in total rent, or $750 each when split with one roommate.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is 30% the default rent percentage?
- The 30% rule is a long-standing affordability benchmark used by landlords and budgeting guides: keeping rent at or below 30% of gross income generally leaves enough for other expenses and savings. In high-cost cities many people exceed it, which is why the slider goes up to 50%.
- Should I base this on gross or take-home income?
- This tool uses whatever monthly income you enter. Landlords usually screen against gross income, but budgeting against your net take-home pay gives a more conservative and realistic ceiling for what you can comfortably afford.
- Does the per-person share assume an even split?
- Yes. It divides the total affordable rent equally among everyone, including you. If roommates take rooms of different sizes or value, you may agree to weight the split differently than this even division.