Free Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator (DTI)
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the share of your gross monthly income that goes to debt payments. Lenders look at it when you apply for a mortgage, car loan or other credit, and it's a quick way to see how much of each paycheck is already spoken for.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The numbers filled in below are a made-up example; change them to yours.
| Monthly payment | $ per month |
|---|---|
How the math works
- DTI = total monthly debt payments ÷ gross monthly income × 100.
- Use minimum required payments, not what you choose to pay. Utilities, groceries and insurance usually aren't counted.
- Payment cut to reach a target = payments − (income × target %).
Example (made up): $1,350 rent + $380 car + $220 student loans + $150 card minimums = $2,100 a month. On $4,500 gross income that's a 46.7% DTI. Getting to 36% means payments of $1,620, about $480 a month less.
36% and 43% are common rules of thumb, not fixed rules. Each lender sets its own limits and may count housing and other payments differently. This is general information, not financial or lending advice.
Bring the number down with a plan
Paying off a debt removes its payment from your DTI for good. The Debt Snowball & Avalanche Planner ($5) is a spreadsheet for up to 10 debts that shows what to pay on each one every month, the payoff order and a debt-free date for both methods. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Get the planner on Gumroad – $5
This template is also in the Complete Household Money Bundle (what's inside): all 13 home money spreadsheets for $29 (about $69 if bought one by one).
We make this template, so take that into account. The calculator above is free to use either way.
Related free guides
- How to Make a Debt Payoff Plan in a Spreadsheet
- How to Pay Off Debt on a Low Income (Example Numbers)
- How to Pay Off Multiple Credit Cards (Example Numbers)
- How to Save for a House Down Payment (Example Numbers)
More free tools: all calculators.
See all Cedar & Ledger templates