How much car can I afford based on salary in the UK?

A common rule of thumb is to keep the finance payment within 10–15% of monthly take-home pay, or up to about 20% if you have few other commitments. On a £30,000 salary (about £2,090 a month take-home in 2026/27) that is roughly £210–£315 a month, which with a £2,000 deposit over 48 months at 6.9% APR points to a car of about £10,800–£15,100.

What percentage of salary should go on a car?

Many UK guides suggest 10–15% of net (take-home) income for the finance payment alone, leaving room for insurance, fuel or charging, road tax and servicing. If your rent or mortgage, childcare or other debts are high, stay at the lower end. Our calculator lets you compare 10%, 15% and 20%.

How much car finance can I get on a £30k salary?

At 15% of about £2,090 take-home, around £314 a month. Over 48 months at 6.9% APR that repays roughly £13,100 of finance; over 60 months about £15,800. Lenders make their own assessment using your credit file and commitments, so this is a guide only.

What salary do I need for a £30,000 car?

With a 10% deposit and HP over 60 months at 6.9% APR, a £30,000 car costs about £533 a month. Keeping that to 15% of take-home needs a salary of roughly £55,000. On PCP with a large final payment the monthly cost is lower, so the salary needed falls, but you still owe the balloon. See our £30k car guide for the full breakdown.

Are these take-home figures accurate for Scotland?

Not exactly. The figures use income tax bands for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has different income tax rates, so take-home can differ, typically by a modest amount at these salaries. Enter your actual payslip figure in the calculator’s take-home field for the most accurate result.

Which car should I buy according to salary?

Start with your affordable monthly payment and total budget, then shortlist cars in that price range. Check insurance group, fuel economy or efficiency and road tax as well as the price. A used car a few years old often gives more car for the same budget than a new one.

How much car can I afford on my salary in the UK?

Your salary shapes how much car finance you can sensibly take on, mainly through take-home pay after tax and National Insurance. Use the table below for £25k–£60k examples, open a salary-specific guide for worked term and deposit scenarios, or run the calculator with your own figures. Estimates only—not a lending decision.

Reviewed by: Oliver Burton, Editor · Last updated: 09 October 2026

Salary band examples

Illustrative ranges using the 10–20% take-home rule. Take-home uses 2026/27 income tax and 8% employee National Insurance (standard tax code, no pension or student loan). Car prices assume a £2,000 deposit, 48 months and 6.9% APR. Click through for a guide pre-filled to that salary.

Salary	Take-home	Monthly payment	Approx car price	Guide
£25,000	~£1,790/mo	£179–£359/mo	£9,500–£17,000	Open guide →
£30,000	~£2,090/mo	£209–£419/mo	£10,800–£19,500	Open guide →
£40,000	~£2,690/mo	£269–£539/mo	£13,300–£24,500	Open guide →
£50,000	~£3,290/mo	£329–£659/mo	£15,800–£29,600	Open guide →
£60,000	~£3,780/mo	£378–£756/mo	£17,800–£33,600	Open guide →

Try your salary

Your affordability result

Stretch

Recommended max monthly payment

£359

Estimated max car budget

£17,021

Estimated finance amount: £15,021
Total interest: £2,211
Total repayable: £17,232

Based on your income and 15% affordability, you could put around 359 per month towards a car. Over 48 months at the rate you entered, that supports a finance amount of about 15021. With your deposit, your total car budget is approximately 17021. This is an estimate only—actual offers depend on lender criteria.

What to do next

Compare product shapes with the PCP vs HP calculator or refine instalments in the car finance calculator.
Check salary-band examples on the affordability by salary UK hub.
Budget for upkeep — book your MOT online.
Buying used? Protect your car with a used car warranty.

Estimates only — not a lending decision or financial advice. We are not a lender or broker. FCA-regulated partners handle quotes. We may earn a commission if you follow sponsored links.

Disclaimer

This calculator is for estimation only. It is not financial advice and does not represent a lending decision. Your actual affordability and car finance options in the UK depend on your circumstances and the lender's criteria.

How salary maps to a car budget

Start with take-home, subtract committed outgoings, then apply 10%, 15% or 20% as a finance payment guide. Deposit, APR and term convert that payment into a car price. Compare PCP vs HP if lower monthly payments matter more than owning at the end, and check how APR works before you treat an advertised rate as guaranteed.

Three worked examples

Sam: £25,000, renting, no other debt

Take-home is about £1,790 a month. At a comfortable 10% Sam budgets £179 a month. With a £1,000 deposit over 48 months at 6.9% APR, that supports about £7,500 of finance, so a car of around £8,500. Moving to 15% (£269) would stretch the budget to about £12,300, but leaves less slack for insurance, which is often higher for younger drivers.

Priya: £35,000, £300 a month on a personal loan

Take-home is about £2,390, or £2,090 after the existing loan. At 15% of what is left (about £314 a month), with a £3,000 deposit over 48 months at 6.9%, the budget is roughly £16,100. Without the existing loan it would be about £18,000, which shows why lenders look at commitments, not just salary.

Chris: £50,000, £5,000 deposit

Take-home is about £3,290. At 15% (£494 a month) over 48 months at 6.9%, finance of about £20,700 plus the deposit gives a budget of roughly £25,700. A 60-month term raises that to about £30,000 but adds interest. If the car costs over £40,000 (petrol or diesel) or over £50,000 (electric), budget for the £440 a year expensive car supplement on top of the £200 standard road tax.

Costs to budget for on top of finance

Cost	What to check
Insurance	Get a quote for the exact model, age and postcode before signing
Vehicle tax (VED)	£200 a year standard rate for most cars from 1 April 2026; more for expensive cars
Fuel or charging	Use your real annual mileage; see our EV vs petrol calculator
MOT, servicing, tyres	MOT is needed once a car is three years old (four in Northern Ireland)
End of PCP	The optional final payment if you want to keep the car

Frequently asked questions

How much car can I afford based on salary in the UK?: A common rule of thumb is to keep the finance payment within 10–15% of monthly take-home pay, or up to about 20% if you have few other commitments. On a £30,000 salary (about £2,090 a month take-home in 2026/27) that is roughly £210–£315 a month, which with a £2,000 deposit over 48 months at 6.9% APR points to a car of about £10,800–£15,100.
What percentage of salary should go on a car?: Many UK guides suggest 10–15% of net (take-home) income for the finance payment alone, leaving room for insurance, fuel or charging, road tax and servicing. If your rent or mortgage, childcare or other debts are high, stay at the lower end. Our calculator lets you compare 10%, 15% and 20%.
How much car finance can I get on a £30k salary?: At 15% of about £2,090 take-home, around £314 a month. Over 48 months at 6.9% APR that repays roughly £13,100 of finance; over 60 months about £15,800. Lenders make their own assessment using your credit file and commitments, so this is a guide only.
What salary do I need for a £30,000 car?: With a 10% deposit and HP over 60 months at 6.9% APR, a £30,000 car costs about £533 a month. Keeping that to 15% of take-home needs a salary of roughly £55,000. On PCP with a large final payment the monthly cost is lower, so the salary needed falls, but you still owe the balloon. See our £30k car guide for the full breakdown.
Are these take-home figures accurate for Scotland?: Not exactly. The figures use income tax bands for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has different income tax rates, so take-home can differ, typically by a modest amount at these salaries. Enter your actual payslip figure in the calculator’s take-home field for the most accurate result.
Which car should I buy according to salary?: Start with your affordable monthly payment and total budget, then shortlist cars in that price range. Check insurance group, fuel economy or efficiency and road tax as well as the price. A used car a few years old often gives more car for the same budget than a new one.

Sources & notes

Our calculators and guides draw on publicly available UK guidance. We review content periodically but do not guarantee that external sources remain unchanged. See our about page for how we use these tools.

MoneyHelper – How to find the right way to buy a car
General guidance on budgeting and car finance options in the UK.
MoneyHelper – Work out your budget
Household budgeting principles used alongside affordability rules of thumb.
FCA – Consumer credit and your rights
Regulatory context for regulated car finance agreements.
FCA Handbook – CONC 5.2A (creditworthiness and affordability)
How FCA-regulated lenders must assess affordability (illustrative reference).
Black Horse – Car finance (sample lender information)
Example of how a major UK motor-finance provider describes its products.
Santander – Car finance (sample lender information)
Example lender product information; rates and criteria vary by provider.

Compliance notes

Car Affordability UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We do not provide regulated financial advice, credit broking or lending.
Calculator outputs are illustrative estimates based on the inputs you provide and published third-party guidance. They are not quotes, offers of credit or lending decisions.
FCA-regulated lenders apply their own affordability assessments, which may differ from the percentage rules of thumb used on this site. Always check formal terms before signing any agreement.
We may earn commission if you follow links to third-party finance comparison services. This does not affect how our calculators work or how content is reviewed.