How much rent can you afford in Malibu, CA?
Run your salary against Malibu's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Malibu
At a median rent of $11,513/mo, Malibu is expensive when measured against Malibu median household income of $194,421/yr. Rent would consume roughly 71% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $460,520 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Malibu compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Malibu?
On a $194,421 salary (the Malibu median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $4,861/mo. Malibu's median rent is $11,513/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Malibu?
To keep Malibu's $11,513/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $460,520/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Malibu affordable on the median California income?
Malibu is expensive on a $194,421 income. Rent would take 71% of pre-tax pay, outside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".