Car Affordability Calculator

What price car can you afford based on your monthly budget?

Car Affordability Calculator
$
$
$
%
years
Live result
Max car price
$27,457
Max loan amount
$22,457
What it is

Reverse the loan math: pick a monthly payment you can live with, and find the car price that fits.

The formula

Loan = PMT × (1 − (1 + r)^−n) ÷ r Price = Loan + Down + Trade

Why it matters

Rule of thumb: total monthly transportation cost (payment + insurance + gas + maintenance) under 15–20% of take-home.

Worked examples

Try the example

Use the defaults above as a starting point — then adjust the inputs to match your situation.

Common pitfalls
  • Double-check the units on every input — most errors come from mixing units.
  • Round at the end, not in the middle of the formula.

Frequently asked questions

Related calculators

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