Rates and rules for 2026 in 20 countries
Know the real cost of your loan
Monthly payment, APR, total interest, what happens if rates rise and how much you can borrow. Learn the terms banks use, so you sign the right loan.
What LoanPlanKit doesLoanPlanKit calculates loan and mortgage payments with the rates and lending rules of each country, and explains the effective interest rate, fixed and variable rates and early repayment in plain language. Every country has its own short address in its own language:
- loanplankit.com/al Albania, Shqip
- loanplankit.com/au Australia, English
- loanplankit.com/at Austria, Deutsch
- loanplankit.com/ba Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosanski
- loanplankit.com/ca Canada, English
- loanplankit.com/hr Croatia, Hrvatski
- loanplankit.com/fr France, Français
- loanplankit.com/de Germany, Deutsch
- loanplankit.com/ie Ireland, English
- loanplankit.com/it Italy, Italiano
- loanplankit.com/nl Netherlands, Nederlands
- loanplankit.com/mk North Macedonia, Македонски
- loanplankit.com/pl Poland, Polski
- loanplankit.com/rs Serbia, Srpski
- loanplankit.com/si Slovenia, Slovenščina
- loanplankit.com/es Spain, Español
- loanplankit.com/se Sweden, Svenska
- loanplankit.com/ch Switzerland, Deutsch
- loanplankit.com/uk United Kingdom, English
- loanplankit.com/us United States, English
Popular questions
How much will my monthly loan payment be?
Choose your country and loan type in the calculator above, then enter the amount, the term and the interest rate. For example, a 320,000 USD mortgage over 30 years at 7.4% costs about 2,215.62 USD a month in the US, and 220,000 GBP over 30 years at 5.9% costs about 1,304.90 GBP a month in the UK.
What is APR and why is it higher than the interest rate?
The interest rate only covers interest. The APR, or effective annual rate, adds the fees and required costs, such as processing fees, points, account fees and insurance. In our US example the rate is 7.4% but the APR is 7.5% because of 3,200 USD in upfront costs. Compare loans by APR and total cost, not by the rate alone.
What is the effective interest rate called in my country?
Every country uses its own name for the total yearly cost of a loan: EKS in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EKS in Serbia, EKS in Croatia, EOM in Slovenia, ГСВТ in North Macedonia, NEI in Albania, Effektivzins in Germany, Effektivzins in Austria, Effektivzins in Switzerland, TAEG in France, TAE in Spain, TAEG in Italy, JKP in Netherlands, RRSO in Poland, effektiv ränta in Sweden. In the US and Canada it is the APR, in the UK and Ireland the APRC, and in Australia the comparison rate. EU countries and the UK calculate it as an effective rate with compounding, the US, Canada and Australia as a nominal rate.
Fixed or variable interest rate: which is better?
A fixed rate keeps your payment the same for the agreed period. A variable rate follows a reference rate such as Euribor, SOFR, SONIA, STIBOR or WIBOR plus a margin. With rates in Europe rising again in 2026, check the stress test: on the US example a rise of 2 points would push the payment to 2,667.42 USD. Only choose variable if you could still pay that.
Does a longer loan term save money?
No. A longer term lowers the monthly payment but increases the total interest. On a 320,000 USD loan at 7.4%, 20 years costs 2,558.37 USD a month and 294,008 USD in interest, while 30 years costs 2,215.62 USD a month but 477,622 USD in interest.
How much can I borrow?
It depends on the country. Croatia limits loan payments to 45% of net income for housing loans, France to 35%, North Macedonia to 45%, and Slovenia to 50% with a minimum income left over. Ireland caps mortgages at 4 times gross income for first-time buyers and the UK at about 4.5 times. Switzerland tests with a 5% imputed rate, Canada with a stress test, and Australia with a 3 point buffer. Enter your income in the calculator to see the rule for your country.
Can I repay a loan early?
In most countries yes. EU law caps the early repayment fee on consumer loans at 1% of the repaid amount, or 0.5% in the last year, and many countries allow free early repayment of variable-rate loans. Mortgages have their own rules, which you can find on each country page.
Is my data stored?
No. All calculations run in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to a server.