Emergency Fund Calculator
Find out exactly how big your safety net should be — from your monthly expenses, EMIs and job stability — and how much to save each month to get there.
- Free — no sign-up
- Instant, on-screen results
- Built by our CA · CS team
- Rules cited on the page
Enter your figures — the result on the right updates as you type.
How your target is built
Step-by-stepBuild your emergency fund with a plan that fits
Our advisors help you park it right, automate the top-up and keep it truly liquid.
Disclaimer: This is a planning estimate, not financial advice. Your ideal fund depends on your household, health, dependents and job security. Review your target at least once a year.
Why 6 to 12 months of expenses?
An emergency fund is the cash you can reach in a crisis — a job loss, a medical bill, an urgent home or car repair — without borrowing at high interest or breaking long-term investments. The right size isn't a fixed number; it's a multiple of your monthly must-pay costs, and the multiple grows as your income gets less predictable.
| Months of cover | 6 |
| Best for | Govt / MNC job |
| Two earners? | 6 is enough |
| Months of cover | 9 |
| Best for | Consultants, gig |
| Income | Irregular |
| Months of cover | 12 |
| Best for | Sole breadwinner |
| Risk | Highest |
Where to park your emergency fund
The goal is safety and instant access, not returns. Spread the fund across two or three of these so a part is always reachable within minutes, and the rest earns a little more.
A worked example
Say your essentials are ₹40,000 a month and your EMIs are ₹15,000. You're stably salaried, so you target 6 months. You already have ₹50,000 saved.
Key terms explained
Monthly need
Your essential expenses plus EMIs — the money that has to leave your account each month even if your income stops. Skip discretionary spends like holidays or dining out.
Months of cover
How many months your fund can pay for. 6 months for stable salaried, 9 for variable income and 12 for a single earner with dependents.
Target fund
Your monthly need multiplied by months of cover — the full size your emergency fund should reach. This is the number you're building toward.
Monthly top-up
The shortfall divided across 12 months — a realistic monthly SIP or transfer that gets you to your target within a year without straining your budget.
Questions people ask
Short answers on Emergency Fund Calculator. Tap a question to open it.
01How big should an emergency fund be?
Three to six months of essential expenses for a salaried person with a stable job, and nine to twelve months for a freelancer, business owner, single-income household or anyone with dependants or a large EMI.
02Which expenses should the fund cover?
Only what you cannot stop — rent or EMI, groceries, utilities, school fees, insurance premiums, medicines and transport. Discretionary spending on travel, dining and shopping is excluded, which is why the target is smaller than your full monthly spend.
03Where should the emergency fund be kept?
Somewhere safe and quickly accessible: a savings account, a sweep-in fixed deposit or a liquid or overnight fund. Returns matter far less than being able to withdraw within a day without loss.
04Does health insurance replace an emergency fund?
No. Insurance covers hospitalisation, not job loss, business disruption, a family emergency or the cashless claim gap. You need both.
05How do I build the fund without derailing my investments?
Set a monthly auto-transfer to a separate account until the target is met, and route windfalls like bonus or arrears to it. Build the fund first, then step up equity investing.
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Disclaimer: This tool gives indicative results for general guidance only and is not professional advice. Please verify with a qualified CA before acting on the numbers.