Can I Afford This?
Estimate the real monthly cost of a purchase, what share of your income it takes, and a simple affordability score.
Before a big purchase, the useful question is rarely “can I pay for it today?” — it is “can my budget absorb this without squeezing everything else?” This calculator spreads the price over the months you plan to pay, checks it against what is left after your existing costs, and gives a plain affordability score.
At a glance
- What you enter
- Item price, Months to spread the cost, Net monthly income, Existing monthly costs
- What you get
- Monthly cost over your term, Share of monthly income, Affordability score (0–100)
- Formula shown
- Yes — every step, right below your results.
- Cost and privacy
- Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.
See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓
Results are estimates for general information only — always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.
How to use the Can I Afford This?
- 1 Enter Item price
- 2 Enter Months to spread the cost
- 3 Enter Net monthly income
- 4 Enter Existing monthly costs — Bills, rent, groceries and other spending you already have.
- 5 Press Calculate. You get Monthly cost over your term, Share of monthly income, Affordability score (0–100), and every intermediate step stays visible under “How is this calculated?”
- 6 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result — that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.
Worked examples
Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.
$1,800 spread over 12 months
A $4,500 income with $2,600 of existing monthly costs, leaving $1,900.
You enter
- Item price
- $1,800.00
- Months to spread the cost
- 12
- Net monthly income
- $4,500.00
- Existing monthly costs
- $2,600.00
You get
- Monthly cost over your term
- $150.00
- Share of monthly income
- 3.3%
- Affordability score (0–100)
- 91
The monthly cost is $150 — about 3% of income and roughly 8% of the $1,900 left after existing costs, which is why the score stays in the low 90s.
$12,000 spread over 24 months
A $4,200 income with $3,200 of existing costs, leaving only $1,000 a month.
You enter
- Item price
- $12,000.00
- Months to spread the cost
- 24
- Net monthly income
- $4,200.00
- Existing monthly costs
- $3,200.00
You get
- Monthly cost over your term
- $500.00
- Share of monthly income
- 11.9%
- Affordability score (0–100)
- 40
Even over two years the purchase costs $500 a month: about 12% of income, and half of everything left over. The score drops to 40, and the 12-month scenario of $1,000 a month would consume the entire surplus.
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Frequently asked questions
How is the affordability score different from the share of income?
The share of income divides the monthly cost by your whole income; the score divides it by what is left after your existing costs. That is why the two can look very different — a purchase can be 5% of your income and still swallow half of your spare money. The score takes 100 and subtracts 1.2 points for every 1% of leftover income the purchase consumes, so 50% of leftovers scores 40 and 83% scores 0.
Should the term match how long I will actually pay?
Yes. Entering 48 months because that is the longest option available makes the monthly figure look harmless while committing you to four years of payments. Use the term you genuinely intend, then read the 12, 24 and 48-month scenarios to see what a shorter or longer commitment would cost each month.
What do the 12, 24 and 48-month scenarios include?
They simply re-divide the price over those terms — no interest, no fees, no inflation. A longer term lowers the monthly figure but costs more in total if you are borrowing, and this calculator does not model that interest at all. Treat the scenarios as a way to compare the shape of the commitment, not the true cost of finance.
What is not included in the monthly cost?
Interest, card fees, delivery, extended warranties, accessories and insurance. If you are putting the purchase on a credit card and paying it off slowly, the real monthly cost is higher than the price divided by the term. The calculator also assumes the price is fixed, so a sale or a price rise is not reflected.
Terms used here
Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.