Making property decisions simpler

AffordaLive is a free rent vs buy calculator built for Australians. Independent, jargon-free guidance on property decisions.

Our mission

Australia's property market is complex. Comparing rent and buy options requires juggling dozens of numbers: mortgage rates, council rates, stamp duty, maintenance costs, income levels, and more. Most Australians lack an easy way to run these calculations themselves.

We provide a free, transparent calculator that brings all the numbers into one place. No ads, no data selling. Just clear affordability guidance, with optional paid reports for deeper analysis when you're ready.

What we do

We combine suburb benchmark data compiled from Australia's leading sources (Domain, ABS) with financial best practices to help you understand:

• Whether renting or buying is more affordable for your situation
• How your housing costs compare to the 30% affordability rule
• What you'll pay in stamp duty, LMI, rates, insurance, and maintenance
• How your goals (holidays, education, investments) fit into each scenario
• The total cost of ownership including 25+ year projections

Why we built this

The property market can make people feel powerless. Either you're priced out, or you're stretched uncomfortably thin to afford a home. We wanted to build a tool that acknowledges this reality and provides clarity.

Working out whether you can actually afford a suburb usually means a spreadsheet, a weekend, and a dozen browser tabs: mortgage calculators, stamp duty tables, council rate estimates, all pieced together by hand and easy to get wrong. AffordaLive replaces that entire process with one search. No spreadsheets, no hours of manual research. Just your income and a suburb, and a complete picture in seconds.

We want to help Australians make property decisions that actually fit their life and financial situation, not just what a real estate agent or lender says is "possible."

How we operate

AffordaLive's calculator is free to use. We don't run ads and we don't sell your data. If you have questions about how we work, reach out.

Not financial advice

AffordaLive is an educational tool. All figures are estimates and indicative only. Always consult a qualified financial adviser, mortgage broker, or conveyancer before making any property purchase decision. See our disclaimer for details.

Have feedback?

We're constantly improving AffordaLive. If you have suggestions, found a bug, or want to chat about something, please get in touch. We read every message.