Borrowing capacity, income and budget
What salary do you need to borrow €300,000 in Lyon?
The income you require, calculated from the loan amount, including the full cost of the transaction — notary, guarantee, fees — that no one counts.
For this amount, the necessary income is calculated by working back from the loan: the term and the interest rate yield a monthly instalment, to which you add the insurance, then you divide the total by the debt-to-income ratio limit. The result is a theoretical minimum, which the residual income often raises. And the borrowed amount does not finance a property of the same price: transfer duties, notary fees and the cost of the guarantee are added to it.
By Sandy MASCART, mandataire d'intermédiaire en opérations de banque et en services de paiement ORIAS 26000541 sous le mandat de CDV PATRIMOINE & ASSURANCE (ORIAS 14005573)
The update date is the date the content was last checked against its sources.
Key points
- The minimum income obtained by the calculation is a theoretical minimum: the residual income often raises it beyond this figure.
- The borrowed amount does not finance a property of the same price: you must add the transfer duties, the notary fees and the cost of the guarantee.
- Without sufficient equity to cover the acquisition costs, the amount actually borrowed exceeds the price of the target property.
- The accessible area is calculated on the net purchase price excluding costs, never on the borrowed amount alone.
- The necessary income for a couple is not calculated by dividing that of a single person by two: it is recalculated with the household's residual income.
To borrow €300,000, calculate your minimum income, then the true cost of the transaction: it is not the price of the property. Conversely, from income to amount: the simulator and the article on borrowing capacity.
What income is required to borrow €300,000?
Instalment plus insurance, divided by the debt-to-income ratio: this is the minimum income. The residual income often raises it.
35,00 % ()This minimum makes the file possible, not financeable:
- The residual income, in euros, blocks first near the minimum: the rule of the High Council.
- The income taken into account is often lower than the gross income: the income taken into account.
- The cost of the transaction: borrowing €300,000 does not finance a property worth €300,000.
For a couple, the limit applies to the household income, and the residual income rises with the number of people: the joint loan.
What income for €300,000, in figures?
Approximately €4,820 of net monthly income over twenty years, without other credit and excluding insurance. Over fifteen years, approximately €5,960; over twenty-five years, approximately €4,180.
Average rates of July 2026 taken into account: 3,11 % () over fifteen years, 3,16 % () over twenty years; twenty-five years: average of July 2026 for this duration, identical dashboard.
| Capital borrowed | Over fifteen years | Over twenty years | Over twenty-five years |
|---|---|---|---|
| €300,000 | approximately €5,960 of income | approximately €4,820 of income | approximately €4,180 of income |
Estimate, without value of an offer. Minimum incomes calculated on 29/10/2026, without insurance or ongoing credit.
With insurance, this income rises further. For a couple, the sum of the two incomes is compared: the capacity of a couple.
Why a €300,000 loan does not provide a €300,000 budget
In addition to the price, you must account for transfer duties, notary fees, the real estate security contribution, and the loan guarantee.
The costs added to the price
Transfer duties are the most significant line item in the case of a second-hand property. The rate for the Lyon metropolitan area is:
S'applique au prix de vente. La métropole de Lyon est une collectivité distincte du Rhône : les deux votent séparément leur taux.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- impots.gouv.fr
S'applique elle aussi au prix de vente. Elle s'ajoute donc à la part départementale.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Légifrance
Attention à l'assiette : ce pourcentage ne porte pas sur le prix du bien, mais sur le seul droit départemental déjà calculé. Il ne s'additionne donc pas aux deux précédents.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Légifrance
Are you a first-time buyer purchasing your primary residence? You are exempt from the temporary increase in the departmental rate.
Deux conditions cumulatives : une première propriété au sens du dispositif, et une affectation à la résidence principale. C'est au notaire de l'appliquer : signalez-lui votre situation avant la rédaction de l'acte.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Légifrance
Notary fees are charged according to a sliding scale with decreasing rates.
A discount on the higher brackets applies to all their clients: please ask each firm whether they apply one.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Article 278 du code général des impôts — Légifrance
Disbursements are advanced on your behalf and reimbursed at the actual cost.
somme avancée pour le compte du client par le professionnel pour la réalisation d’une prestation, remboursée au COÛT RÉEL
Il n'existe aucun forfait réglementaire : les débours se remboursent au coût réel, sur justificatifs. La provision demandée à la signature n'est qu'une avance, régularisée après l'acte.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Article R. 444-2 du code de commerce — Légifrance
The real estate security contribution.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Légifrance
The loan guarantee: its fee schedule is set by the lender, and only the surety is partially refundable: surety, mortgage, or personal guarantee. Add the file fees, which are negotiable, and the fees written into the mandate.
For new-build properties, transfer duties are reduced: please compare properties on a cost-inclusive basis. The amount to be financed is not the displayed price.
What monthly payment does €300,000 represent?
It depends on the prevailing interest rate and the term: calculate it using the most recent statement.
It does not include council tax, service charges, or maintenance: request these before the preliminary sale agreement. From the monthly payment to the capital: the first purchase; from the capital to the monthly payment: the calculation of the monthly payment.
Is a down payment required to borrow €300,000?
Without a down payment, the loan finances the price and the fees: you borrow more than €300,000, and the required income rises accordingly.
A down payment that covers the fees brings the loan back to the price of the property: the personal contribution.
What can you buy with €300,000 in Lyon?
Loan plus down payment, minus the fees: divide this price by the square metre of the area.
At this budget, Lyon requires a choice between size and location; a property needing renovation shifts the boundary if the works are costed before the offer. Prices by district, the budget of a first-time buyer, the credit glossary.
And if your income is just below the threshold?
Term, assisted loan, insurance, joint borrowing: each lever that lowers the monthly payment lowers the floor. Or reduce the amount.
Une durée supplémentaire est admise pour les opérations comportant un différé, notamment dans le neuf.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Décision D-HCSF-2021-7, art. 1er — Légifrance
The levers compared: the first purchase. A file that stretches all its parameters has no margin for an unexpected event.
The same reasoning for €200,000, €250,000 and €400,000
A rule of three is sufficient, except for the residual income, which is often a flat rate, and the notary’s fees, which are progressive.
| What changes with the amount | How it evolves | What this implies |
|---|---|---|
| The monthly instalment, then the minimum income | Proportionally, at constant rate and term | A rule of three gives a good order of magnitude |
| The transfer duties | Proportionally to the price | They follow the price, without any threshold effect |
| The notary’s fees | By progressive brackets | Their relative weight decreases as the price rises |
| The cost of the guarantee | According to a specific scale, not proportional | To be checked separately, it is not derived from the price |
| The residual income | Often a flat rate in euros, sometimes a percentage beyond a certain income, according to the lender’s unpublished grid | It bites hard at the lower end, almost less at the higher end |
The case of €200,000 has its own page.
Three checks before searching
- The amount to be financed, not the price of the property.
- The income taken into account, not the income received.
- The gap with the amount in mind: if small, it can be bridged; if significant, it is better to know it right away.
Spotted a property listing? Create your file or compare it with your file by telephone.
Sources
Read next
- How much can I borrow? Mortgage capacity in Lyon
- What salary do you need to borrow €200,000 in Lyon? What salary to borrow €200,000: calculating the minimum income, and why disposable income, term and insurance can weigh as heavily as the cap.
- What term should you choose for your mortgage: fifteen years, twenty years, or longer? Paying the least interest without strangling your budget: what each term changes, how far the lender can extend it, and the method for choosing.
- How much can I borrow alone with €2,500 per month? Alone with €2,500 of income per month: what determines your borrowing capacity, the constraint that decides, and where to find room if the calculation stalls.
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