Minimum Living Costs for a Loan in Slovenia

After paying all your loan repayments, you must keep at least €745 a month. For each child or other family member you support, this amount goes up further. The rule is set by the Bank of Slovenia, and every bank in Slovenia has to follow it.

In everyday language this is called minimum living costs. Its official name is the minimum creditworthiness of a consumer. Below we explain how the amount is calculated, how the bank uses it, and four worked examples.

We explained how a bank calculates creditworthiness from start to finish in how banks calculate creditworthiness. This article is only about the amount you must keep.

How much are minimum living costs?

Amounts that apply in 2026:

“Per parent” applies when both parents support the child: each is counted with half. “One parent” applies when you support the child alone, and “single parent” in a single-parent family. “Adult, no income” is, for example, a partner you support.

The €745 amount has applied since July 2023. The Bank of Slovenia reviews it every December and adjusts it if needed. When it changes, we update this article too.

The amounts for family members are not set specifically for loans. They are based on the basic minimum income, which is also used to calculate social assistance. A child counts as 0.59 of that amount and an adult family member as 0.57. In a single-parent family, another 18% of the basic amount is added for each child. From 1 March 2026 the basic amount is €507.43, and the amounts in the table are calculated from it.

Because the basic amount is adjusted every year, the child amounts change too. Some banks show figures from previous years on their websites, so check which period any source refers to.

How does the bank use these amounts?

The bank checks two limits and applies the stricter one:

1. All repayments together may not exceed 50% of your net income. This is called DSTI.
2. After all repayments you must keep at least €745, plus the amounts for family members.

Repayments include all loans, leasing, instalment purchases and part of your credit card and overdraft limits. Not just the new loan.

So the formula for the highest monthly repayment is:

highest repayment = the lower of (net income × 50%) or (net income - €745 - family amounts)

With lower salaries, the €745 rule is the stricter one. A single person without children needs at least €1,490 net before the 50% rule becomes stricter. For families with children this threshold is even higher.

Worked examples

The examples use the amounts from the table above and assume the person has no other loan liabilities.

• Single person, €1,400 net. Half of income is €700. After deducting €745, €655 is left. The highest repayment is €655. Here the €745 minimum is the limit, not the 50% rule.
• Single person, €2,200 net. Half of income is €1,100. After deducting €745, €1,455 is left. The highest repayment is €1,100. Here the 50% rule is the limit.
• Single mother with 1 child, €1,700 net. Half of income is €850. After deducting €745 and €390.72 for the child, €564 is left. The highest repayment is €564, almost €290 below half of her salary.
• Father in a couple with 2 children, borrowing alone, €1,900 net. Half of income is €950. Both parents support the children, so half is counted for each, €299.38 in total. After deducting €745 and €299.38, €856 is left. The highest repayment is €856.

How much can you borrow for that repayment?

The highest repayment depends only on your income and the rules above. How much you can borrow for it also depends on the interest rate and the loan term, which change over time. A lower rate and a longer term mean a larger loan for the same repayment.

So do this step with current data:

1. In the creditworthiness calculator, enter your income, liabilities and family members to get your highest repayment and loan. By default the calculator uses a somewhat stricter reserve than the legal minimum, because banks often calculate more cautiously. In the advanced settings you can enter the exact amounts from this article.
2. Current bank rates are in the mortgage comparison and the consumer loan comparison.
3. In the loan calculator, check what the loan costs in total at the chosen rate and term.

Can a bank require more than €745?

Yes. €745 is the lower limit set by the Bank of Slovenia. A bank can use its own models to decide you need more. This often happens if:

• you pay rent,
• your income is irregular, for example from self-employment or author contracts,
• the bank assumes higher household costs.

That is why two banks may approve different amounts for the same salary. The reasons, and what you can do yourself, are covered in how to improve your creditworthiness before visiting the bank.

Why is the minimum no longer tied to the minimum wage?

Until 2023, the amount you had to keep was tied to the gross minimum wage. When the minimum wage rose, people on lower salaries lost creditworthiness even though their income had not changed. So the rule was changed, and since July 2023 a fixed amount of €745 applies, which the Bank of Slovenia reviews once a year.

This is what people mean when they search for the “new” creditworthiness calculation: since July 2023 there is a single DSTI limit of 50% for all salaries (previously 67% for higher salaries) and a fixed minimum of €745.

How can you have more room for a repayment?

You cannot change the €745. But you can change the other parts of the calculation:

• Close loans and limits you do not need. Every existing repayment reduces the room for a new one.
• Add a co-applicant. If your partner has a regular income, the combined income is taken into account.
• Extend the term. A lower repayment fits under the limit more easily, but you pay more interest in total.
• Compare banks. At a lower interest rate you get a larger loan for the same repayment.

How much you can roughly borrow at a given salary is shown in how much you can borrow based on your salary.

If this rule leaves you too little room for a repayment, the realistic routes are described in what you can do when a loan is refused for creditworthiness.

The calculations in this article are for information only. The amount actually approved depends on the bank, your income, liabilities and credit rating.

Sources

The €745 amount and the DSTI rules come from the Bank of Slovenia’s macroprudential restrictions on household lending. The family member amounts are calculated under Article 26 of the Social Assistance Benefits Act from the basic minimum income, which is adjusted every year. How we collect data is described on the Methodology page.