Property & Home · Serviceability
Borrowing Power Calculator — How much can you borrow?
A quick serviceability estimate — what a lender might offer based on income, expenses and existing debts. An estimate only, not lender approval.
What you enter
- Household income (gross)
- Monthly living expenses
- Other monthly repayments
- Deposit saved
- Interest rate
- Serviceability buffer
- Loan term
How this is calculated
We estimate your net (after-tax) monthly income, subtract your living expenses and existing repayments to get a monthly surplus, then work out the loan that surplus could service at an assessment rate of your interest rate plus a buffer (default +3%, matching APRA's serviceability guidance). The result also shows your debt-to-income ratio and what the repayment looks like at both the real rate and the assessment rate.
Common questions
Why do lenders assess me at a higher rate than I'd pay?
APRA requires banks to test that you could still afford repayments if rates rose — currently at least 3 percentage points above the product rate. That buffer, not the advertised rate, is what usually limits how much you can borrow.
What's a good debt-to-income ratio?
Many lenders treat loans above 6× gross household income as higher risk, and some cap lending there. Below 4× is generally comfortable; between 4× and 6× expect more scrutiny of your expenses.
Why might a bank offer me less than this estimate?
Lenders verify expenses against HEM benchmarks (often higher than people self-report), count credit card limits as debt even if unused, discount overtime, bonuses and rental income, and factor in dependants and credit history. This estimate is a starting point, not an approval.
How does it rank?
Once you have your result, see how your number compares against your demographic with our full money rank — by age, sex, state and household composition.
Methodology & data
SERVICEABILITY ESTIMATE · NOT LENDER APPROVAL. Australian context, FY 2026–27 tax brackets by default (15% lowest marginal rate from 1 July 2026) with a financial-year selector on tax calculators. Calculations are indicative and based on simplified public models — not personal financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer.
Primary data sources
- Australian Taxation Office — Taxation Statistics — Individuals Tables 3A & 4A (income by age, sex & state) (2023–24)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Household Income and Wealth, Australia — net worth by age & net-worth quintiles (2019–20)
- Australian Taxation Office — Taxation Statistics — Individuals Table 22 (super balance by age) & Table 23A (age × sex) (2023–24)
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