Car Affordability Calculator
Turn a monthly budget into the car price you can afford.
Car price you can afford
$26,999
Loan amount
$22,999
Total interest
$4,001
Budget separately for insurance, fuel, and maintenance — together they often match the payment.
Work backward from the payment
Discounting your budgeted payment over the term gives the loan it supports; add your down payment for the price ceiling. A $450 budget at 6.5% for 60 months supports about a $23,000 loan — stretching to 72 months raises the ceiling but adds interest and underwater risk.
The 20/4/10 guideline
A classic sanity check: 20% down, no more than 4 years of financing, and total car costs (payment, insurance, fuel) under 10% of gross income. Few buyers hit all three; each miss is a knowing trade, not a failure.
Related calculators
Mortgage Calculator
Estimate your monthly mortgage payment with taxes, insurance, and a full amortization schedule.
Loan Calculator
Work out payments, total interest, and payoff time for any fixed-rate loan.
Compound Interest Calculator
See how savings and investments grow with compounding over time.
Auto Loan Calculator
Estimate car payments including trade-in value, sales tax, and dealer fees.