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x200 Affordability · Malaysia

Stop shopping
by the sticker price.

The 10-second rule: monthly spare cash × 200 = the property price you can comfortably carry — covering the loan, maintenance, quit rent and insurance, not just the installment.

← All 8 numbers to check before you buy

Find your spare cash

Take-home − living costs − existing loans.

Step 1 — your real spare cash
RM
RM
RM
Your monthly spare cash will show here.
Step 2 — the multiplier
×200 is the comfortable rule of thumb. Lower (×150) = more cautious; higher (×250) = more stretched.
You can comfortably carry
RM 0
Enter your numbers to begin
Take-home payRM 0
Less living costsRM 0
Less existing loansRM 0
Monthly spare cashRM 0
× multiplier× 200
Comfortable priceRM 0
Why ×200 works: on a home at this price, the all-in monthly cost — loan installment + maintenance + quit rent + assessment + fire insurance — works out near your spare cash. So you cover everything, not just the loan.
One more check: the x200 rule sizes the price. The bank still sizes the loan via your DSR (~70% cap). Check both.

Why ×200 covers everything

Drag the price — every cost recalculates. A 90% loan at 4% over 35 years, plus the holding costs most buyers forget.

RM
~900 sqft · 90% loan (RM450,000) · 4.0% · 35 years
RM 1,992

Loan installment

90% loan @ 4.0% over 35 years (estimate).

RM 360

Maintenance + sinking

~RM0.40/sqft/month — varies by project.

RM 110

Quit rent + assessment

Local-authority charges (estimate).

RM 30

Fire insurance

Standard, usually required with the loan.

Total all-in ≈ RM 2,492/month. The ×200 rule budgets RM 2,500 (price ÷ 200) — so that spare cash covers everything, not just the loan.

Questions

Where does ×200 come from?
It's a rule of thumb that ties monthly carrying cost to price. On a typical KL condo, ~RM2,500/month of all-in cost lines up with a ~RM500k price (RM500k ÷ 200 = RM2,500). The multiplier bakes in maintenance, quit rent and insurance — not just the bank installment.
Is this the same as what the bank approves?
No. x200 sizes the price you can comfortably carry. The bank sizes your loan using DSR (total commitments capped around 70% of income). You need both to line up — use our DSR calculator too.
Why use spare cash, not salary?
Because the sticker price means nothing if your spare cash can't carry it. Spare = take-home − living costs − existing loans. Use what's genuinely left over every month.
Should I always use ×200?
It's a comfortable baseline. Cautious buyers use ×150 (more buffer); some stretch to ×250 (tighter, more risk). The slider lets you see the range.

A rule of thumb for general education — not financial advice. All example figures are illustrative; interest rate, tenure, maintenance rate, quit rent and fees vary by project and bank. The x200 rule estimates a comfortable price; actual loan approval depends on your DSR and the bank's policy under BNM responsible-financing guidelines.