Car Affordability Calculator
How much car you can buy on a monthly budget
Shop by budget, not sticker price. Enter the monthly payment you're comfortable with to see the maximum car price and loan amount that fits.
Budget first
This works backward from a comfortable monthly payment to a max price. A common guideline is keeping your total car costs (payment, insurance, fuel) under 15–20% of take-home pay. Remember insurance and fuel on top of the payment.
The 20/4/10 rule
A popular buying guideline is 20/4/10: put at least 20% down, finance for no more than 4 years, and keep all transportation costs under 10% of your gross income. It's deliberately conservative — it steers you toward owning the car outright sooner and protects you from depreciation.
The costs beyond the payment
Sticker price is only part of ownership. Budget for insurance, fuel, maintenance, registration and depreciation — together these often rival the loan payment itself. A cheaper car with good fuel economy and low insurance can fit a tighter budget than the monthly payment alone suggests.
Car Affordability Calculator: frequently asked questions
How much car can I afford?
Set a monthly payment you're comfortable with; this shows the price it supports. Keep total car costs under ~20% of take-home pay.
Should I include insurance in my budget?
Yes — insurance, fuel and maintenance are real monthly costs beyond the loan payment.
What percentage of income should a car payment be?
Many advisors suggest keeping your car payment under 10–15% of monthly take-home pay, and all car costs under about 20%. The lower you keep it, the more room you have for saving and emergencies.