How much rent can I afford?
Landlords and real estate agents usually ask for proof of income, not a philosophy lecture on budgeting. You still need your own number before you inspect places — otherwise a $650-per-week apartment feels affordable until the first electricity bill and the HECS repayment hit the same fortnight.
The shortcut most Australians hear is 30% of gross income. On $90,000 that is $519 per week. It is a planning line, not a tenancy law. Services Australia and housing researchers use similar ratios when they talk about rental stress, but no state sets “30%” as a hard approval threshold for every lease.
How this rent affordability calculator works
You choose gross salary or take-home pay, set how often you are paid, and pick a rent cap (default 30%). Partner income and other annual income (such as regular freelance or investment distributions) stack on top. Monthly debt repayments and a savings target come out before the final weekly rent figure.
If you use gross mode, we estimate take-home using standard 2025–26 PAYG and Medicare rules with 12% employer super — no HECS toggle on this tool, so add a buffer if you repay study debt. For a full pay breakdown, use the APS salary calculator or your employer payslip.
Rent affordability rule of thumb (and its limits)
The 25% “comfortable” band and 30% “standard” band appear in finance blogs because they are easy to remember. They break down when:
- You earn just above a tax bracket cliff and take-home jumps slower than gross.
- You pay childcare, which can dwarf rent in capital cities.
- You are on a visa with savings requirements that do not care about Australian percentages.
- Rent includes utilities or furniture — common in student and short-stay leases.
Slide the cap down to 25% if you are building an emergency fund. Push to 35% only if you have no car loan, walk to work, and accept a thin buffer for rate rises.
Rent affordability by salary (30% of gross, examples only)
These figures apply the 30% rule to gross annual salary, divided by 52 weeks. They ignore tax, HECS, and debts — use the calculator above for your household.
| Gross salary (AUD/year) | 30% cap (approx. weekly rent) | 25% “comfortable” weekly |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $288 | $240 |
| $60,000 | $346 | $288 |
| $70,000 | $404 | $337 |
| $80,000 | $462 | $385 |
| $90,000 | $519 | $433 |
| $100,000 | $577 | $481 |
| $120,000 | $692 | $577 |
| $150,000 | $865 | $721 |
Gross income vs take-home pay
Job ads and APS classification tables quote gross packages. Your lease application might ask for gross, but your bank account receives net pay. At $80,000 gross in 2025–26, federal income tax and Medicare typically take a five-figure slice before super is even discussed.
Comparing gross rent ratios while budgeting from net pay is how people end up “at 28% on paper” but broke by week three. Toggle take-home mode when you know your fortnightly deposit amount.
Weekly, fortnightly and monthly rent
Most residential leases in Australia quote rent per week, even when you transfer money fortnightly to match pay cycles. Real estate portals often show both. To convert: fortnightly = weekly × 2; monthly ≈ weekly × 52 ÷ 12. The calculator shows all three so you can match how your agent invoices rent.
Other costs to include in your rent budget
Rent is the largest line item, not the only one. Before you raise your cap, account for:
- Electricity and gas — check your last bill or the electricity bill calculator.
- NBN or mobile broadband if not included in the lease.
- Contents insurance (often $15–$40 per month).
- Commuting — Opal, Myki, or fuel if you moved for cheaper rent.
- Car loan or rego if you kept a vehicle.
- Childcare gaps between CCS and out-of-pocket fees.
- Medical gaps, subscriptions, and groceries inflation.
Enter recurring debt and fixed bills in the monthly commitments field so the “affordable rent” number is not fantasy.
Worked example
Example: One full-time worker on $72,000 gross (paid annually), partner earns $48,000 gross, $350 per month in car and personal loan repayments, $150 per month savings goal, 30% cap on combined gross.
Combined gross is $120,000 → about $2,308 per week. Thirty percent is roughly $692 per week before debts. After ~$81 per week of commitments and ~$35 per week of savings, the capped affordable rent is about $576 per week if the percentage rule binds — often lower once take-home tax is considered, which is why the interactive results matter.