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Car Affordability Calculator

Find out how much car you can afford based on your desired monthly payment and loan terms.

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How we calculate affordability

We reverse-calculate the standard auto loan amortization formula. We take your maximum monthly budget and find out the largest loan principal that payment can support at your interest rate.

We then add your down payment and trade-in value on top of that loan limit to find your total affordable car price.

P = M [ (1 + r)^n - 1 ] / [ r(1 + r)^n ]
P = Max Loan, M = Monthly Budget, r = Monthly Interest Rate, n = Number of Months

Frequently asked questions

Does this include taxes and fees?

No. You should leave roughly 10% of your budget buffer for taxes, title, and registration fees depending on your state.

How much of my income should go to a car?

A common rule of thumb is that all car expenses (payment, insurance, gas) should not exceed 15-20% of your take-home pay.