unaffordable

American  

[uhn-uh-fawrd-uh-buhl] / ʌn əˈfɔrd ə bəl /

adjective

1. too high in price to afford.

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Explanation

If something is unaffordable, it's too expensive. A house that costs millions of dollars is unaffordable for almost everyone. This adjective often describes things that cost too much money for the average person, like unaffordable rents in a particular city or unaffordable health care. When you can afford something, it's within financial reach; you can manage to purchase it. Unaffordable things are priced too high for your budget or bank account, like those ultra-rare sneakers you covet.

Example Sentences

That throttled supply means property prices -- and therefore rents -- make up an unaffordable proportion of many people's income.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

Private long-term-care insurance is unaffordable for most Americans.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

Although she encourages cleaner technologies, Romero disagrees with banning new gas-powered cars because it could make transportation unaffordable for some families.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Research from housing charity Shelter Cymru said the private rented sector was unaffordable for most people in Wales.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The January price liberalization and a blossoming of private vendors filled shelves across the country with previously scarce food items and consumer goods, but wages lagged behind inflation, making such goods unaffordable for many consumers.

From The 1993 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency