Budget calculator (50/30/20) for Indian salaries
Enter your monthly take-home pay and where it currently goes. You will see how your split compares with 50/30/20, your savings rate, and how much is still unassigned.
Your month
Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere — the maths runs in your browser.
How this budget calculator works
Enter your monthly take-home pay, then how much you currently commit to each of three buckets. The calculator compares your split with the 50/30/20 starting point and shows the amount that has not been assigned to anything — the money that quietly disappears in most months.
| Bucket | 50/30/20 share | What belongs here |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | Rent, groceries, utilities, transport, insurance, minimum loan payments |
| Wants | 30% | Eating out, travel, subscriptions, shopping, hobbies |
| Savings | 20% | Emergency fund, SIPs, extra loan repayment, goal contributions |
Unallocated money is the real finding
If your three buckets add up to less than your take-home pay, the difference is not saved — it is unassigned, and unassigned money gets spent. Give every rupee a job, even if that job is "savings".
Savings rate matters more than the split
Your savings rate is what you save divided by what you take home. In your first decade of working it predicts outcomes better than the return you earn: moving from 10% to 20% doubles your contributions immediately.
What to do next
Read the full budgeting guide for how to keep a budget that survives a real month, then size the buffer your savings bucket should fund first with the emergency fund calculator.
For a step-by-step routine, read how to budget your salary in India. Use the Income Tax Department to check deductions that affect take-home pay; 50/30/20 is a planning aid, not an official rule.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use CTC or take-home pay?
Always take-home — the amount that actually reaches your bank account after tax and provident fund. CTC includes money you cannot spend this month, so budgeting against it overstates what you have.
What if my needs are more than 50% of my pay?
That is common on a first salary in an expensive city. 50/30/20 is a diagnostic, not a rule. Keep savings positive, then bring needs down over time as income grows rather than cutting savings to zero.
Do loan EMIs count as needs or savings?
The minimum payment is a need, because missing it has consequences. Anything you pay above the minimum behaves like savings, since it buys down future interest.
Is this budget calculator free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
Go deeper
Your next step
- See the full guideBudgeting — the complete guideWhere should this month's salary actually go?
- Go deeperEmergency fund calculatorSize the buffer that covers your essential spending, and see how long it takes to fill.
Put this into your own situation. North keeps your income and commitments in one place, so the split stays current instead of being redone every month.
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These calculators are educational tools, not financial advice. Any figure involving an assumed rate of return is a projection, not a promise. See all North tools.