The 3 · 20 · 30 · 40 rule

A home you can afford, not just one you qualify for.

Ghar lena hai, phasna nahi.

A bank will happily approve a loan that quietly eats your life, then leave you to live in whatever is left over. The old 3/20/30/40 rule draws a kinder line: a home up to 3× your income, repaid over 20 years, with the EMI under 30% of your monthly pay and 40% down. Put in your income and see what that actually buys, whether the EMI leaves you room to breathe, and the down payment nobody warns you about.

Your numbers

Your annual income (take-home)

₹

That's about ₹1,00,000 a month. Slider goes to ₹3 Cr; earning more? Just type it, "5cr" and all.

Home budget, as a multiple of income

The rule says 3×. Metros tempt you higher. Drag it and watch what breaks.

Down payment

Loan tenure

yrs

Interest rate

% p.a.

You can save each month, for the down payment

₹

To work out how long the down payment really takes to build.

Your home budget

₹-

Down payment (upfront)

₹-

Home loan

₹-

Your actual EMI

₹-

Total interest paid

₹-

over the life of the loan

Does the EMI actually fit?

EMI is of your take-home

0%the 30% comfort line ↓50% of income

Still playing by the rule?

The real hurdle nobody mentions

The EMI is the easy part. The ₹- down payment is the mountain.

Before you fall for a listing: is buying even the right call for you right now, and once you own it, how fast could you be free of the loan?

Rent vs Buy → Prepay it early →