Decision Lab · Affordability
How Much Property Can I Realistically Afford?
Estimate the financing ceiling set by three separate constraints — debt burden ratio, loan-to-value category, and maximum financing relative to annual income. The lowest applicable limit controls the estimate, so you see which one actually binds your buying capacity.
Capacity screen
- Income
- Existing commitments
- Regulatory DBR
- LTV limit
- Indicative capacity
CBUAE regulatory basis.
Award
Best Real Estate Agent – Dubai
Arabian Property Awards Winner 2026–2027
Experience
20+ Years
Entrepreneurial experience
Credential
Licensed REALTOR®
Professional standards & ethics
Platform / Reach
Founder & CEO — FIMCO Real Estate
2,500+ personal advisory clients · 15+ countries
Mortgage Affordability / DSR Calculator
Estimate how much you may be able to borrow from your income and commitments — an indicative capacity screen on the current CBUAE framework.
How to use this calculator
- 01Enter income & commitmentsYour gross monthly income and existing obligations.
- 02Set rate & termEditable planning inputs within the 25-year cap.
- 03Read your capacityIndicative loan and property price update instantly.
- 04Confirm with a lenderFinal approval depends on underwriting.
Results
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From income to property budget
How your income and commitments translate into an indicative property budget — each stage narrows to the constraint that binds first.
Income
Your gross monthly income sets the starting envelope for repayment.
Existing commitments
Current loan and card obligations reduce the payment you can add.
Regulatory capacity
The DBR ceiling and LTV category cap what a lender may extend.
Indicative mortgage size
The lowest applicable limit fixes the loan you can realistically raise.
Property budget
Loan plus your available cash defines the property price you can target.
Know your budget — then find the right property.
Your capacity is only the starting point. The right property is where price, financing and your objective work together — that is where a conversation with Raj adds the most value.
Methodology, assumptions & sources
Show methodology, assumptions & official sources
Method & assumptions
Debt Service Ratio (DSR) is the public term; CBUAE regulation applies the Debt Burden Ratio (DBR) framework. Mortgage payment capacity = qualifying income × DSR ceiling − existing monthly debts; the DSR-supported loan is the present value of that payment at the calculation rate (mortgage rate + stress buffer) over the term. The indicative property price is derived from the lower of the DSR-supported loan and the income-multiple ceiling (8× National / 7× Expat), then the applicable LTV band — using a piecewise ≤AED 5M / >AED 5M solver so a >5M property is not funded at the ≤5M LTV. An optional available-cash constraint and a 4-way binding constraint (DSR / income multiple / LTV / cash) complete the screen. CBUAE mortgage providers typically apply a 2–4 percentage-point stress buffer.
- CBUAE LTV maximums: UAE National first ≤AED 5m 85% / >5m 75% / subsequent & investment 65%; Expat 80% / 70% / 60%; off-plan 50%.
- General DSR/DBR ceiling 50% of qualifying income; 60% only for a UAE-National qualifying government-guaranteed housing programme; maximum tenor 25 years.
- Income multiples: 8× annual income (National), 7× (Expat); non-resident uses the 7× expat reference with lender caution.
- Investment rental income is haircut to 10/12 of the annual figure; non-resident LTV is an editable bank-specific planning figure, not a CBUAE cap.
Official regulatory basis
Official government & regulatory sources
- Central Bank of the UAEMortgage lending framework — applicable LTV, debt-burden ratio and maximum-tenor regulatory limits where relevant to the model.View CBUAE source
- Dubai Land DepartmentOfficial Dubai property registration, mortgage registration, trustee / service-partner charges, title deed and unified map government fees.View DLD source
- Federal Tax Authority (UAE)Value Added Tax basis: the 5% standard rate applied to commercial property and to taxable fees (e.g. bank processing), and input-tax recovery — recoverable in full where it relates to a taxable supply. Residential leases and second-hand residential sales are treated per FTA rules.View FTA VAT source
Formulas & methodology
- Raj Khaleel Decision Lab methodologyStandard reducing-balance mortgage amortisation, renter opportunity-cost logic, equity modelling and the year-by-year comparison — implemented transparently in this tool.
- Commercial costs are your editable assumptionsBrokerage, bank arrangement, valuation, conveyancing and insurance are not government-set. Enter your actual quote or use the clearly-labelled editable planning assumption — these are not official government charges.
This is an indicative educational affordability screen, not bank pre-approval. Lenders may use stricter LTV, income, DSR, age, employment, credit, valuation and documentation criteria. Final approval depends on lender underwriting and the specific property.
Decision tools by Raj Khaleel — Best Real Estate Agent – Dubai, Arabian Property Awards Winner 2026–2027.