Mortgage · Canada
How much house can I afford single vs as a couple?
Add a second income and the maximum price rises, but not always in proportion. Enter two incomes to compare buying alone with buying together, with household debts and down payment held the same.
Worked example. One partner earning $70,000 can afford about $358,200 alone. Adding a second $60,000 income, for $130,000 combined, lifts it to about $633,600, a gain of $275,400. Both cases use $500 of household monthly debts and a $120,000 down payment, tested at 7%.
The rules behind every figure on this page: the qualifying rate is the greater of your contract rate plus 2% or 5.25% (OSFI, page modified 29 January 2026); CMHC restricts GDS to 39% and TDS to 44%; and the minimum down payment is 5% of the first $500,000, 10% of the portion up to $1.5 million and 20% at $1.5 million or more (FCAC). Checked retrieved 15 October 2026.
Inputs
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked numbers
Outputs of this calculator. Base assumptions: $500 of other monthly debts, a 5% contract rate (tested at 7%), 25-year amortization, property tax at 1% of the price a year and $100 a month for heating. Those are assumptions you can change in the form, not published figures. Rounded to the nearest $100.
| Scenario | Max mortgage | Max price | Binding limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| $70,000 alone | $238,200 | $358,200 | TDS |
| $70,000 + $60,000 | $513,600 | $633,600 | GDS |
| $100,000 alone | $378,500 | $498,500 | TDS |
| $100,000 + $40,000 | $555,000 | $675,000 | GDS |
Why two incomes do not simply double the price
Both ratios use combined gross income, so a second income raises the 39% and 44% ceilings. But household debts stay the same, and the down payment can become the limit before income does: a price is capped at the most your deposit can legally buy (5% of the first $500,000, 10% of the next $1 million). In the table the second column may therefore show a limit of "Down payment" rather than GDS or TDS.
Lenders add each applicant's debts as well as income. If you are both on the mortgage, enter every monthly debt from both of you in the debts field. How a lender treats a partner who is not on the application is the lender's decision, so ask before counting on that income.
How this calculator works
It finds the largest mortgage whose payment at the qualifying rate keeps both ratios inside the limits, then adds your down payment. GDS is mortgage payment + property tax + heating + 50% of condo fees, at most 39% of gross monthly income. TDS adds every other monthly debt payment and is capped at 44%. Payments use Canadian semi-annual compounding. The same engine as the main mortgage affordability calculator is used, so the two always agree for the same inputs.
Not included: the CMHC insurance premium (added to the loan when the down payment is under 20%, so treat results with less than 20% down as an upper bound), your credit score, rental income, and any tighter lender-specific limits. A pre-approval from a lender or broker is the only figure that counts.
Sources (retrieved 15 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much more house can I afford with two incomes?
In the first example, $275,400 more: from about $358,200 on $70,000 alone to about $633,600 on $130,000 combined, with the same debts and down payment.
Do lenders add both incomes together?
Generally, yes: for people applying together the ratios are measured against their combined gross income and combined debts, but confirm how your lender does it. How a lender treats a non-applicant is the lender's decision.
Why is the gain smaller than the second income suggests?
Because household debts and the down payment cap do not scale with income, and the rounding of the 39% and 44% limits means the binding ratio can change when income rises.
Why is my bank's number different?
Real approval depends on credit, employment, the actual property tax and heating cost, and lender policy. This tool also leaves out any CMHC premium.
More ways to ask the same question
How Much House Can I Afford in Ontario · How Much House Can I Afford in BC · How Much House Can I Afford in Alberta · How Much House Can I Afford in Quebec · Mortgage on a $80,000 Salary · Mortgage on a $100,000 Salary · Mortgage on a $150,000 Salary · GDS and TDS Worked Examples
Estimate only — not lending advice
This is an educational estimate. It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Approval depends on credit, employment, the actual property tax and heating cost, and lender policy; confirm with a lender or mortgage broker.