AMP borrowing calculator and borrowing power guide for 2026

If you've typed "AMP borrowing calculator" into Google, you're really asking one question: how much can I actually borrow for a home loan? Every bank — AMP, ANZ, ASB and the rest — runs its own version of the same calculator, and they don't all spit out the same number.

This guide pulls the big borrowing calculators together in one place, explains what each one is doing under the bonnet, and shows you how lenders in Australia work out your borrowing power in 2026. Whether you're buying your first place in Brisbane, upgrading in Melbourne, or refinancing in Sydney, the maths is broadly the same across lenders — the assumptions are where they differ.

Want a lender-neutral starting point before you go bank by bank? Browse the free home loan calculators — they take about a minute and give you a ballpark to work from.

Last updated: July 2026.

Key takeaways

• A borrowing calculator estimates your maximum home loan by testing your income against your expenses, existing debts, and a stressed interest rate.
• In 2026, lenders must assess you at your actual rate plus an APRA serviceability buffer of at least 3 percentage points — so the rate they test is higher than the rate you'll pay.
• A single applicant on $90,000 might borrow roughly $450,000–$520,000; a dual-income couple on $170,000 combined often lands around $850,000–$980,000, depending on debts and expenses.
• AMP, ANZ and other Australian lenders use similar logic; ASB is a New Zealand bank, so its calculator uses NZ rules, not Australian ones.
• The "best" borrowing power calculator is the one whose assumptions match how a real lender will assess you — bank-specific tools flatter their own products.

What's in this guide

• What a borrowing calculator actually does
• AMP borrowing calculator explained
• ANZ borrowing calculator and borrowing power
• ANZ borrowing capacity — how the bank works it out
• ASB borrowing calculator (and why it's different)
• What is the best borrowing power calculator?
• What pushes your borrowing power up or down
• Frequently asked questions

Indicative borrowing power by income (2026)

Here's a rough guide to what different households might borrow in 2026, based on estimates generated through Leadkit's borrowing power calculator using current assumptions — an assessment rate around 8.5% (actual rate plus the APRA buffer), standard living expenses, and no other major debts.

These ranges are based on Leadkit's own borrowing power calculator, not a specific lender's assessment. This is a borrowing indication only — a lender or mortgage broker will confirm your actual capacity after assessing your full financial position.

Disclaimer: this is a price indication only. Your tradie — in this case, your lender or broker — will confirm the final number after assessing the job.

What a borrowing calculator actually does

A borrowing calculator estimates the largest home loan a lender is likely to approve for you. It does that by comparing the money coming in against the money going out, then stress-testing the result.

Under the bonnet, it runs four inputs: your gross income, your living expenses, your existing debts and commitments (credit card limits, car loans, HECS/HELP), and an assessment rate — the interest rate the lender pretends you're paying to make sure you could still cope if rates rose.

That assessment rate is the bit most people miss. Lenders don't test you at the advertised rate; they add a buffer on top. Australia's banking regulator, APRA, requires lenders to assess new borrowers at their loan rate plus a serviceability buffer of at least 3 percentage points (APRA). So if the actual rate is 5.5%, you're assessed as though you're paying 8.5%. That's deliberately conservative, and it's why calculators sometimes hand back a smaller number than you expected.

Most lenders also floor your declared living expenses at the Household Expenditure Measure (HEM) — a benchmark of what a household of your size and income typically spends. If you say you live on air, the lender quietly overrides you with the HEM figure. For a plain-English breakdown aimed at buyers, our guide on how much you can borrow for a home loan walks through the same levers in more detail.

AMP borrowing calculator explained

The AMP borrowing calculator is AMP Bank's own tool for estimating how much you could borrow through an AMP home loan. Like every lender's calculator, it's built around AMP's serviceability policy — its treatment of income types, its expense floors, and its assessment rate.

That's the honest catch with any single-bank tool: it's calibrated to that bank's appetite. A lender that's generous with bonus income or rental income will show you a bigger number than one that shaves those figures. Neither is "wrong" — they're just different credit policies.

Across the borrowing estimates run through Leadkit, the single biggest swing between a low and a high result is almost always how income other than base salary is treated — overtime, commissions, and rental income get discounted differently by every lender. So use the AMP figure as one data point, not gospel. If you're weighing lenders side by side, a mortgage comparison calculator helps you line up rates and repayments rather than just headline borrowing limits.

ANZ borrowing calculator and borrowing power

The ANZ borrowing calculator does the same core job as AMP's, calibrated to ANZ's lending policy. ANZ is one of the big four Australian banks, so its tool is one of the most-searched borrowing calculators in the country.

ANZ's calculator asks for your income, dependants, existing loans and card limits, then returns an estimated borrowing power and an indicative monthly repayment. As with all of them, the number assumes the APRA buffer is baked in.

One practical tip: credit card limits hurt you even if the balance is zero. Lenders assess the full limit as though it's maxed out and being repaid at a minimum monthly rate. Cutting a $15,000 card limit you never use can lift your borrowing power by tens of thousands. It's the cheapest lever most buyers ignore.

ANZ borrowing capacity — how the bank works it out

Your ANZ borrowing capacity is the maximum ANZ will lend you, and it's set by serviceability — can you comfortably cover repayments at the assessed rate?

The bank works it out with a net surplus calculation: assessed income, minus assessed expenses, minus the stressed repayment on the new loan, minus repayments on existing debts. If there's a healthy surplus, you service the loan. If it's tight or negative, the loan amount comes down until the sums work.

Two ratios matter here. LVR (loan-to-value ratio) is your loan divided by the property value — borrow above 80% LVR and you'll usually pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which our LMI cost guide breaks down. DTI (debt-to-income ratio) is your total debt against your gross income; many lenders get cautious above a DTI of six. Both can cap your borrowing capacity independently of raw serviceability. ASIC's Moneysmart has a solid neutral primer on borrowing basics if you want a regulator's view rather than a bank's.

ASB borrowing calculator (and why it's different)

Heads up: ASB is a New Zealand bank, not an Australian one. If you've been comparing the ASB borrowing calculator alongside AMP and ANZ, it's worth knowing it runs on New Zealand lending rules — the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's LVR and debt-to-income settings, not APRA's.

For an Australian purchase, an ASB estimate won't reflect the rules a local lender will actually apply to you, so treat it as apples to oranges. The concepts rhyme — income in, expenses out, stress-tested rate — but the buffers, tax treatment and first-home settings differ across the Tasman. If you're buying in Australia, stick to Australian calculators and Australian lenders. The full calculator library is built entirely on Australian assumptions.

What is the best borrowing power calculator?

The best borrowing power calculator isn't the one that gives you the biggest number — it's the one whose assumptions match how a real lender will assess you. A tool that quietly ignores the APRA buffer or lets you understate expenses will feel great right up until a lender says no.

Look for four things: it applies a realistic assessment rate (actual rate plus roughly 3%), it floors your expenses sensibly, it counts existing debts and card limits, and it's transparent about its assumptions. A lender-neutral tool beats a single-bank one for shopping around, because it isn't nudging you toward one product.

Do this before you talk to any bank: run a neutral estimate first, then compare each lender's own figure against it. Try the free borrowing power calculator as your baseline — then you'll know instantly whether a bank is being generous or stingy.

What pushes your borrowing power up or down

Small changes move the number more than most people expect. Income helps, but so does cleaning up the liabilities side.

• Reduce or close credit cards. Assessed on the limit, not the balance — see above.
• Pay down or refinance car and personal loans. Every monthly repayment is subtracted from your surplus.
• Add a co-borrower. Two incomes usually beat one, though dependants pull the other way.
• Fix your expenses. Genuinely lower living costs (below the HEM floor won't count, but at or near it helps).
• Chase the right rate. A lower actual rate means a lower stressed rate, which lifts capacity. If you already own, our refinance savings guide shows how much a switch can free up.

Interest rate moves matter here too — when the Reserve Bank of Australia shifts the cash rate (RBA), assessment rates move with it, and everyone's borrowing power drifts up or down accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How much can I borrow on a $100,000 salary in 2026?

A: On a $100,000 gross salary as a single applicant with no dependants and no other debts, you might borrow roughly $500,000–$580,000 in 2026, using an assessment rate around 8.5%. Add a partner's income and the figure climbs; add a car loan, HECS debt or dependants and it falls. The only way to get a firm number is a full serviceability assessment, but you can get a fast, lender-neutral estimate before you speak to anyone. Remember this is an indication only — a lender confirms the real figure.

Q: Why does the AMP borrowing calculator give a different number to ANZ?

A: Because each lender has its own credit policy. AMP and ANZ apply different rules to overtime, bonuses, rental income and expenses, so the same household can get two different results from two banks. Both bake in the APRA serviceability buffer, but the discounts they apply to non-base income vary. That's exactly why it pays to run a neutral estimate first and compare each bank against it, rather than assuming one calculator is the truth.

Q: Is the ASB borrowing calculator relevant for an Australian home loan?

A: Not really. ASB is a New Zealand bank, so its calculator uses New Zealand lending rules — different buffers, tax and first-home settings. For an Australian purchase, use Australian calculators and Australian lenders. The underlying idea is the same, but the numbers won't match what a local lender will actually approve, so don't budget off an ASB result if you're buying in Sydney, Perth or the Gold Coast.

Q: What is a serviceability buffer?

A: It's the safety margin lenders add to your interest rate when they test whether you can afford a loan. APRA requires at least 3 percentage points on top of your actual rate, so a 5.5% loan is assessed at 8.5%. It exists to make sure you could still make repayments if rates rose. It's the main reason a borrowing calculator often returns less than you'd hoped, and it's non-negotiable — every regulated Australian lender applies it.

Q: Does a HECS or HELP debt reduce how much I can borrow?

A: Yes. Compulsory HECS/HELP repayments are treated as an ongoing commitment and subtracted from your assessable income, which lowers your borrowing power. The higher your income, the higher the repayment rate, so the impact grows with salary. It won't stop you borrowing, but it can shave tens of thousands off the top. Factoring it in early — alongside card limits and car loans — gives you a realistic figure rather than a nasty surprise at approval.

Q: Should I use a mortgage broker or just the bank's calculator?

A: A calculator gives you a ballpark; a broker gives you a strategy. Brokers can see which lenders treat your income type generously and match you to the right one, which matters if you have bonuses, commissions or self-employed income. Start with a neutral estimate to set expectations, then use a broker to shop the market. You can compare your options yourself first across the finance and property calculators so you walk in informed.

Final word

Every bank's borrowing calculator — AMP, ANZ, the lot — is answering the same question through a slightly different lens. Get a neutral baseline first, understand the buffer and the expense floors, then treat each lender's figure as a data point to compare, not a verdict. Do that and you'll never be blindsided by a "computer says no" at application.

Ready to see the repayments? Try the free home loan repayment calculator — takes about a minute, no signup, and it's an indication only until a lender confirms.

Run a business and want leads like these? Embed a free Leadkit calculator on your own site in 60 seconds — every calculation captures a warm lead automatically, no credit card needed.