What should be your combined monthly salary to realistically afford to live in condo?

If u need to work to generate income to pay off the mortgage, you cannot afford it. Hard but true. You might be thinking then what about people who buy hdb isn't it the same? Yes they cannot afford it as well. The moment their boss tells them to leave, the home is no longer theirs

Really depends on the size you buy. Down payment is high at 25%. Maintenance fee can range from 200-700 per month depending on size of your unit and number of units in the condo( usually first car free parking). Usually condos are situated further from malls vs. Hdb so having a car would be more convenient so need to factor this cost in if it is far from amenities. To live comfortably for a 1.8M$ unit I would recommend combined income of 15-20k$/mth. The monthly repayment is about 5k$/mth assuming 30yr loan and interest 1.8%. Even if one of you lose your job you can still sustain for a while.

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Buying to rent out means you need to pay extra absd on top of 25% down . Small condo units like one bedders have much higher psf costs and maintenance fee usually about 200-400 per mth. Most units currently rental unable to cover mortgage.