Calculator

Borrowing power

Estimate the size of home loan a lender is likely to offer, based on how banks actually assess you: after-tax income, living costs, existing debts, a stress-test rate, and the Reserve Bank's debt-to-income cap. Inputs stay on your device.

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Leave at 0 if buying on your own.

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Car, student or personal loan balances plus credit card limits. Used for the DTI cap.

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Groceries, utilities, rates, insurance, transport, roughly what you spend each month.

25 years
30 years
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A rough estimate, not an offer. Banks also apply their own serviceability and credit checks and may have existing debt not captured here.

Estimated maximum home loan
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Monthly surplus
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DTI cap (6× gross)
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owner-occupier limit
Est. monthly repayment
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at your stress-test rate
Where the income goes (annual)
Common questions

Borrowing power questions, answered

How much can I borrow on a $100,000 salary in New Zealand?

On a $100,000 salary, the Reserve Bank's debt-to-income cap for owner-occupiers lets you borrow about $600,000 (6 times gross income) before existing debt is subtracted. Your actual figure is lower if affordability (net income minus living costs and existing repayments) is the binding limit, and it varies with the stress-test rate banks apply.

How do NZ banks work out how much I can borrow?

Banks estimate your net (after-tax) income, deduct living costs and existing debt repayments, and see what mortgage the remaining monthly surplus can repay at their stress-test interest rate. They also cap lending by the Reserve Bank's debt-to-income rule: as a rule of thumb, total debt is capped at 6 times gross annual income for owner-occupiers.

What is the debt-to-income (DTI) limit in New Zealand?

Since July 2024 the Reserve Bank restricts how much high-debt-to-income lending banks can write. DTI is your total debt (mortgage plus existing loans and credit card limits) divided by gross annual household income. For owner-occupiers the threshold is 6 times income, and for investors 7 times, with banks limited to 20% of new lending above each threshold.

Does this calculator include the check on deposit size?

No. This calculator estimates borrowing power from income and debt only. Lenders apply a separate loan-to-value (LVR) check on your deposit, and the smaller of the two limits generally wins. Use this calculator alongside your savings and deposit to see the full picture.

How is PAYE and ACC tax worked out here?

For the 2026/27 tax year, this page applies NZ income tax of 10.5% to $15,600, 17.5% to $53,500, 30% to $78,100, 33% to $180,000 and 39% above $180,000, plus the ACC earners' levy of 1.75% on earnings up to $156,641, and subtracts the $520 Independent Earner Tax Credit for eligible earners between $24,000 and $70,000. It does not model student loan repayments, which some borrowers will also owe.