It's the first question almost every buyer asks me: "Can I even afford this?" For a RM600,000 condo — roughly the entry point for a decent new launch in Bukit Jalil and much of KL — the honest answer comes down to four numbers: your loan, your cash upfront, your monthly repayment, and the income the bank wants to see. Let's walk through each.

1. The loan: expect about 90%

For a first or second property, Malaysian banks generally finance up to 90% of the price. On a RM600,000 condo that's a loan of around RM540,000, with the remaining 10% — about RM60,000 — coming from you as a downpayment.

That said, new launches often change this maths. Developers frequently bundle rebates or "low/zero downpayment" packages that shrink the cash you actually need at signing, which is exactly why a new project can be easier to get into than a subsale unit.

2. The monthly repayment

At an interest rate of around 4.2% over a 35-year tenure, a RM540,000 loan works out to roughly RM2,400–RM2,600 a month. Two things move that number: the interest rate (which tracks the OPR and your bank's spread) and the tenure (a shorter loan means higher monthly payments but far less interest overall).

3. The salary banks want to see

This is the part most buyers get wrong. Banks don't approve loans on salary alone — they use your Debt Service Ratio (DSR): your total monthly commitments divided by your net income. Most banks approve when your commitments sit within roughly 60–70% of net income.

As a practical rule of thumb, a single buyer with clean credit and minimal other debt usually needs a gross income in the region of RM7,000–RM9,000 a month to comfortably carry the ~RM2,500 instalment. The good news for couples: you can combine incomes on a joint application, which is how many buyers reach this bracket.

The catch is your existing debt. A car loan, PTPTN, personal loans and even your credit-card limits all eat into your DSR before the home loan is counted — so two people on the same salary can get very different approvals.

4. The cash you need beyond the downpayment

For a subsale purchase, budget for more than just the 10%. On top of the downpayment you'd typically pay legal fees for the Sale & Purchase Agreement and the loan agreement, stamp duty on the loan (0.5% of the loan amount), stamp duty on the transfer of ownership (tiered, and a meaningful sum on a RM600k property), plus valuation and disbursements.

Here again, new launches are gentler: developers often absorb or rebate many of these fees, and first-home-buyer stamp-duty exemptions have historically applied to properties below certain price thresholds. These exemptions change with each national Budget, so always confirm what's current at the time you buy.

So, can you afford it?

If you're a single buyer earning around RM7,000+ with little other debt, or a couple whose combined income clears that comfortably, a RM600,000 condo is realistically within reach — especially through a new launch with a friendly package. If you're below that, don't count it out: the right project, a joint applicant, or a longer tenure can close the gap.

The most useful thing you can do is get a proper affordability check before you fall in love with a unit. Send me your rough income and commitments and I'll give you a realistic picture of what you can borrow — and shortlist projects that fit it.

These figures are general estimates for illustration, not financial advice. Interest rates, DSR policies and stamp-duty exemptions change and vary by bank and by your circumstances — confirm the numbers with a banker or mortgage adviser before committing.