Your budget has two ceilings. The lower one is real.
One ceiling is what a bank will lend you. The other is what your cash and EPF can actually cover on signing day. Most people only ever get told the first one — then get caught by the second.
Work out your number
Twelve fields. Nothing leaves your browser until you ask for the result.
Your breakdown is ready
Leave an email and the full breakdown opens below — every figure, the cost of entry line by line, and where the ceiling is coming from. You can save it as a PDF to take to the bank.
Siling — housing affordability estimate
What you pay before you get the keys
Where your monthly income goes
The honest bit
The rules this uses
No black box. These are the same figures a bank and a conveyancing lawyer will work from, current to August 2026.
Debt service ratio
Banks cap total monthly commitments as a share of net income. Typically 60% under RM3,000, 65% to RM5,000, 70% to RM10,000 and 75% above that. Credit cards count at 5% of the outstanding balance.
Margin of finance
Up to 90% for your first or second housing loan. From the third onwards it drops to 70%, so a third of the price has to come from cash.
Stamp duty on transfer
1% on the first RM100k, 2% to RM500k, 3% to RM1m, 4% above. Foreign buyers pay a flat 8% from January 2026. Permanent residents keep the tiers.
First-home waiver
Malaysian citizens buying their first home at RM500,000 or less pay nothing on the transfer or the loan agreement. Extended to 31 Dec 2027. One ringgit over the cap and the whole waiver goes.
Legal fees
Scale fees: 1.25% on the first RM500k, 1% after, charged separately on the sale agreement and the loan agreement, plus 8% service tax and disbursements.
Interest rate
Almost every Malaysian home loan floats. SBR sits at 2.75% and your rate is SBR plus the bank's spread — around 4.22%–4.35% for a clean credit profile.
Common questions
The short version of the things people usually ask before they trust a number like this.
How much house can I afford in Malaysia?
It comes down to two ceilings, not one: the maximum a bank will lend based on your income and debts, and the maximum your cash and EPF can cover once deposit, stamp duty and legal fees are added. You can only afford whichever one is lower.
What is DSR in Malaysia?
Debt Service Ratio — the share of your net monthly income banks let go toward debt repayments, including a new home loan. It runs from around 60% for lower incomes up to 75% for higher earners, and existing commitments count against the cap first.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
Malaysian citizens buying their first home at or under RM500,000 get a full exemption on both the transfer and loan agreement stamp duty, extended under Budget 2026 to 31 December 2027. Above that price, standard tiered rates apply.
What is margin of finance?
The share of the property price a bank will actually lend — typically up to 90% for a first or second housing loan, dropping to around 70% from a third loan onward. The rest has to come from your own cash.
Can I use EPF to buy a house?
Yes — EPF Akaun Sejahtera can generally be withdrawn toward a home purchase, and it often moves your affordable price more than another year of saving would, since it goes straight at the upfront cash a buyer needs.