We Reviewed 5 Home Loan Affordability Calculators – Here's The Best One

With the repo rate expected to drop to 7.25% by the end of this year, South African home buyers who held back last year are cautiously tiptoeing into the market. Are you among the lucky would-be home buyers in 2025?

The first step, of course, is figuring out what you can afford. Luckily, there are various home loan affordability calculators online that can make working out your budget quick and easy. We rounded up and tested them below.

What are Home Loan Affordability Calculators?

A home loan affordability calculator is a tool that estimates how much you can borrow based on your income, expenses, and credit profile. It helps you avoid overextending yourself financially and plan confidently for your dream home.

Remember to Calculate the Additional Costs of Buying a Home

Homeownership comes with additional costs such as transfer fees, rates and taxes, and home insurance.

1. BetterBond Home Loan Calculator

BetterBond’s home loan affordability calculator page is a one-stop shop for all things home loans.

It includes calculators to work out what you can afford; what your monthly repayments would be based on different loan terms and interest rates; and what you’ll be shelling out on transfer and bond costs.

It includes:

You can also use their extra payments calculator to see how much you could save by paying extra into your bond, as well as their amortisation calculator to better understand how your home loan is structured in terms of capital and interest.

Features we love:

We like that there’s a glossary on the page to explain certain terms – it’s something that’s especially useful for first-time home buyers. If you’d like, you can also use their pre-qualification feature to make your application process smoother.

Ratings:

• Design: ★★★★☆
• Usefulness: ★★★★★

Explore BetterBond Calculator here

2. Ooba Home Loan Calculator

Like BetterBond, Ooba has six individual home loan calculators. You can also check your credit score through them and they’ll provide you with a certificate to get pre-approved for a home loan.

What sets Ooba apart:

Their page design is a bit livelier than BetterBond’s, which puts them one star ahead of the competition.

Ratings:

• Design: ★★★★★
• Usefulness: ★★★★★

Try Ooba’s home loan calculator here

3. Nedbank Home Loan Calculator

While it doesn’t have as many individual calculators as BetterBond or Ooba, Nedbank’s home loan affordability calculator is clear and simple to use.

Key features:

In just a few clicks, it can show you your monthly instalments, bond and transfer costs (including a cost breakdown) and you can get bond pre-approval. The design is easy on the eye and uncluttered. Nice one, Nedbank

Ratings:

• Design: ★★★★☆
• Usefulness: ★★★★☆

Check out Nedbank’s calculator here

4. FNB Home Loan Calculator

FNB’s home loan affordability calculator lets you pick between a ‘basic’ calculator that gives you an idea of what you quality for, or their ‘advanced’ calculator that also helps you work out your income and expenses.

Limitations:

While you aren’t able to see your monthly repayments or transfer costs and the page’s font size is on the too-small side, it’s an easy-to-use tool that does the job.

Ratings:

• Design: ★★★☆☆
• Usefulness: ★★★★☆

Visit FNB’s home loan calculator here

5. Standard Bank Home Loan Calculator

Standard Bank’s affordability calculator provides a quick and reliable estimate for prospective homeowners.

Best features:

It shows you the total amount you could borrow, what your monthly repayments will be and how different loan terms and interest rates will either reduce or increase your monthly instalments. The white and blue design is clean and dynamic, and the calculator is a breeze to use

Ratings:

• Design: ★★★★☆
• Usefulness: ★★★★☆ 

Use Standard Banks calculator here

Why Compare Home Loan Affordability Calculators?

Each bank and mortgage provider offers different affordability criteria, interest rates, and tools. Comparing these calculators helps you get a clearer picture of your borrowing power.

Do Not Forget Home Insurance

A home loan affordability calculator tells you what your budget is, but homeownership comes with additional costs. To protect your property from damage, theft, or unexpected events, you’ll need home and building insurance.

Save Money on Home Insurance by Comparing Quotes

And did you know that you don't have to take insurance with the bank that provides the home loan? This could save you money. Plus, you could bundle your contents, buildings and car cover for a possible discount.

Hippo can help you to get the best Home Insurance deals in just a few minutes. It’s quick, easy and free to use.