Monthly expense calculator: where does your salary go?
Put a rough number against each kind of spending. See your monthly total, how it splits into fixed costs, needs and wants, and what's left to save, in the same categories the PennyWise AI app uses.
By PennyWise AI Team · Updated
What reaches your bank after tax and PF.
Total spending a month
₹36,50073% of take-home
Fixed + Needs · 48%
₹24,000
50-30-20 says about 50%
Wants · 25%
₹12,500
About ₹417 a day; the rule says about 30%
Left to save · 27%
₹13,500
The rule says at least 20%
Categories and the Fixed, Needs and Wants groups are the ones PennyWise AI uses. Runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent or saved.
On this page
How this calculator works
Enter your take-home pay and a monthly amount for each category. The calculator adds them up and sorts them three ways: Fixed costs already promised (rent, EMIs, insurance), Needs you can't stop but can pay less for (groceries, bills, health, education), and Wants that are a choice each time. Whatever is left is what you can save.
An example: ₹50,000 take-home in a big city
The calculator starts with a single earner's month. Rent ₹15,000 and insurance ₹1,000 are fixed; groceries ₹5,000, bills ₹2,500 and health ₹500 are needs; eating out ₹4,000, transport ₹2,500, shopping ₹3,000, subscriptions ₹500, outings ₹1,500 and travel ₹1,000 are wants.
| Group | Amount | Share of take-home | 50-30-20 guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed + Needs | ₹24,000 | 48% | About 50% |
| Wants | ₹12,500 | 25% | About 30% |
| Left to save | ₹13,500 | 27% | At least 20% |
That's a healthy month on paper. In practice, the wants line is the one that's usually underestimated, because it's made of small payments. Most people who track for a month find it higher than they guessed.
What goes in each category
| Category | Group | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | Fixed | Rent, maintenance |
| EMI/Loan | Fixed | Home, car, personal and phone EMIs |
| Insurance | Fixed | Health and term premiums (yearly premium ÷ 12) |
| Groceries | Needs | Kirana, supermarket, quick-commerce groceries |
| Utilities | Needs | Electricity, gas, water, Wi-Fi, mobile recharge |
| Healthcare | Needs | Doctor, medicines, tests |
| Education | Needs | School and college fees, courses |
| Food & Dining | Wants | Eating out, Swiggy, Zomato |
| Transport | Wants | Fuel, metro, autos, cabs |
| Shopping | Wants | Clothes, gadgets, home things |
| Subscriptions | Wants | OTT, music, cloud storage |
| Entertainment | Wants | Movies, outings, events |
| Travel | Wants | Trips, tickets, hotels |
Swap guesses for real numbers
A calculator runs on guesses. To get real numbers, track one full month: every UPI, card and bank payment, sorted by category. PennyWise AI does that from the payment alerts on your phone, so after a month the totals here are facts, not estimates.
Want one daily figure instead? Try the salary budget calculator. Want the split as a rule? Try the 50-30-20 calculator. Checking subscriptions? The subscription cost calculator adds them up.
Your real monthly expenses, without a spreadsheet
PennyWise AI logs every UPI, card and bank payment from your phone's alerts, sorts it into these categories, and shows fixed, needs and wants for the month. Free on Android.
Free on Android, no card needed. 40% off Plus for your first 3 months.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate my monthly expenses?
List your fixed costs (rent, EMIs, insurance), then estimate needs (groceries, bills, health) and wants (eating out, shopping, travel). Add them up and compare the total with your take-home pay. Tracking one real month makes the estimate accurate.
What is a good share of salary for monthly expenses?
Under the 50-30-20 rule, needs take about 50% of take-home pay and wants about 30%, leaving 20% to save. In big cities, rent often pushes needs to 60%, so wants have to shrink to keep savings at 20%.
Should insurance count as a monthly expense?
Yes. Divide a yearly premium by 12 and count it every month, so the year it's due doesn't wreck that month's budget.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored.
Sources
General information, not financial advice. Facts checked on 9 Oct 2026; apps and fees change, so check before you act.