Repayment Capacity Calculator

Know your repayment room before taking new credit. Model rates, terms, and income changes securely. Download results, compare scenarios, and plan confidently every month.

Enter your details

All fields are monthly amounts unless stated otherwise. Use realistic averages for better results.
Finance
Used for display and exports.
After tax and mandatory deductions.
Side income, rent, spouse income (optional).
Food, utilities, transport, education, etc.
Current loans, cards, and installments.
Leave blank to estimate a maximum loan.
Nominal rate used for payment calculation.
Between 6 and 480 months.
Debt payments as a share of income.
Reserved margin for volatility and savings.
Adds to the base rate for stress testing.
Reduces income for conservative assessment.
Reset

Formula used

This calculator estimates your maximum affordable new payment by applying two limits and choosing the tighter one.

  • Disposable-income limit: MaxNewPayment₁ = Income − LivingExpenses − ExistingDebt − Buffer
  • DTI limit: MaxNewPayment₂ = (Income × MaxDTI) − ExistingDebt
  • Capacity payment: MaxNewPayment = min(MaxNewPayment₁, MaxNewPayment₂)
  • Loan estimate from capacity: for monthly rate r and months n, PV = PMT × (1 − (1+r)−n) / r (or PV = PMT × n when r = 0).
  • Stress test: rate increases by your input and income drops by your input; expenses stay unchanged for a conservative view.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your net monthly income and any reliable additional income.
  2. Add your average living expenses and current debt payments.
  3. Choose a DTI threshold and a safety buffer that match your risk tolerance.
  4. Optionally enter a loan amount to test; otherwise, you’ll get a maximum loan estimate.
  5. Click Calculate capacity to see results above the form.
  6. Use the download buttons to save a CSV or PDF summary.

Example data table

Scenario Income Expenses Existing Debts Buffer Rate Term Capacity (Payment)
Moderate 275,000 140,000 25,000 10% 20% 36 65,000
Tighter budget 180,000 120,000 20,000 8% 22% 48 22,400
Higher income 450,000 220,000 40,000 12% 18% 60 120,000
Example values are illustrative. Your results depend on your inputs and thresholds.

Capacity drivers

Repayment room depends on income, essential spending, and existing debt. With income 275,000 and costs 165,000, a 10% buffer reserves 27,500, leaving 82,500 for new repayments. If the DTI cap is 40%, the debt ceiling is 110,000; with 25,000 already committed, the new-payment DTI limit is 85,000. The calculator uses the tighter limit.

DTI thresholds in practice

Many lenders model total DTI between 35% and 45%. Lower limits suit variable income, while higher limits assume stable pay and strong reserves. If income is 180,000 and DTI is 35%, the ceiling is 63,000. With 20,000 existing payments, the maximum new payment becomes 43,000. Adjust DTI to match your risk appetite.

Interest and term sensitivity

Payments change sharply with rate and term. A 1,500,000 loan at 20% over 36 months produces a higher payment than the same amount over 60 months, although longer terms raise total interest. Higher rates push more of each early payment into interest, slowing principal reduction. The schedule preview separates payment, principal, and balance month by month.

Stress testing and buffers

Stress testing checks resilience. If income drops 10% and the rate rises 3 points, capacity may fall while the tested payment rises. The buffer holds back a predictable margin for volatility. When base capacity is 65,000 and stress capacity falls near 52,000, the shortfall suggests lowering the loan, extending the term, or cutting expenses.

Interpreting outputs for decisions

Headroom is the practical signal. Positive headroom means the payment fits both disposable and DTI limits; thin headroom leaves little flexibility for emergencies or price shocks. Compare maximum affordable payment to the estimated maximum loan to set a target, then rerun scenarios with different terms and rates. Export results to document options before applying. If stress status fails, consider increasing the buffer, reducing other debts, or choosing a smaller amount so repayment stays workable even under conservative assumptions for most households.

FAQs

What does the maximum affordable new payment represent?

It is the highest monthly installment the calculator allows after applying both disposable-income limits and your chosen DTI ceiling, then selecting the tighter result.

Why is my DTI limit sometimes lower than my disposable limit?

DTI caps total debt as a share of income. Even if you have cash after expenses, the DTI rule may restrict additional borrowing to reduce default risk.

How should I handle irregular or seasonal income?

Use a conservative average, or test a low-income month. Increase the buffer and rerun the stress settings to reflect volatility, then base decisions on the tighter scenario.

Are taxes, fees, and insurance included in the estimate?

No. The model focuses on principal-and-interest payments. Add expected fees, insurance, and taxes to your living expenses or existing debts to keep capacity realistic.

How do I choose the stress rate and income drop inputs?

Pick values that reflect plausible downside. A small rate bump and a 5% to 15% income drop are common sensitivity tests; increase them if your income is uncertain.

What headroom is considered comfortable?

More headroom generally means better flexibility. If headroom is thin, consider lowering the loan amount or extending the term so the payment remains manageable.

Disclaimer: This tool provides educational estimates. Lenders may use different rules, fees, and verification methods.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.