Experts explained how much money is needed to live off the interest from a deposit.

      Recently, a number of media outlets have discussed living off the interest from bank deposits. We reached out to analysts with the question of what the minimum amount should be for an account holder to live off the interest from this money, taking into account taxes and inflation, and whether it is advisable to rely solely on this income. It turned out that without considering inflation, one would need 10-12 million rubles. With inflation taken into account, the amount is around 20-30 million rubles. And if supporting a family, it would be two to three times more.

      Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global:

      "Currently, the media often mentions a range of 8 to 12 million rubles. For example, in calculations for 'RIA'/ 'Prime', 12.1 million rubles is cited with an income around the average salary and an interest rate of 10.3%. In another selection, experts provide 8.1 million rubles at a maximum rate of 15.5% and the same 12.1 million rubles at an average rate of 10.3%. However, these estimates mainly consider nominal interest income and do not adequately account for capital preservation against inflation. Therefore, the real amount should be higher.

      I would consider it not from the minimum subsistence level, but from the average salary, because this amount is more or less comfortable for living, rather than the subsistence minimum 'for survival'. According to Rosstat, the average nominal salary in February 2026 was around 103.9 thousand rubles. For simplicity, we take 104 thousand rubles per month, or 1.25 million rubles per year. The average maximum interest rate on deposits in the top 10 banks in the first decade of May has already decreased to 13.04%, while the Bank of Russia keeps the key rate at 14.5% and expects inflation for the end of 2026 to be in the range of 4.5-5.5%.

      In my opinion, the minimum fair amount for living off interest now starts not from 8-10 million rubles, but from about 20-22 million rubles. At an interest rate of 13.04%, a deposit yields about 2.6-2.9 million rubles in interest per year from that amount. After personal income tax and considering that part of the income must be kept within the capital to compensate for inflation, about the level of the average salary in the country remains for living. If we consider the rate not at 13%, but at a more cautious 10-11% over a horizon of 1-2 years, then the required capital is already closer to 30-35 million rubles.

      Without considering inflation, the amount looks much more pleasant. To simply receive 104 thousand rubles per month after tax at a rate of 13.04%, approximately 10.8-11 million rubles is sufficient. But this is a poor calculation for living, as the capital will gradually lose purchasing power. In a few years, the same interest will no longer equal today's 104 thousand rubles in real purchasing power.

      Taxes also cannot be ignored. The Federal Tax Service indicates that personal income tax is paid on interest income exceeding the non-taxable limit. This limit is calculated as 1 million rubles multiplied by the maximum key rate of the Bank of Russia on the first day of the month throughout the year. For large deposits, tax is almost inevitable, so the yield 'in hand' will be lower than the bank's advertised rate.

      Living entirely off interest from deposits is certainly comfortable, but I would not recommend it. A deposit is good as a conservative part of capital, especially while rates are high. But this is not an eternal annuity, as deposit rates decrease following the key rate of the Bank of Russia, inflation may accelerate, and the deposit insurance limit in one bank is 1.4 million rubles. Therefore, capital of 20-30 million rubles will have to be split among many banks or combined with OFZs, money funds, part currency, gold, and quality corporate bonds.

      Thus, in my opinion, the minimum for one person at an income level of the average salary is about 20-22 million rubles, if calculated carefully with tax and inflation. It is more comfortable to talk about 25-30 million rubles, because deposit rates in 2026 will likely continue to gradually decrease. And if a person wants to support a family and spend 200 thousand rubles a month, a capital of about 45-60 million rubles is already needed; otherwise, the deposit will not be a source of financial freedom, but a temporary cushion during periods of high rates."

      Arthur Galyautdinov, director of the 'Finam' training center:

      "To answer this question, let's calculate the minimum amount and understand from what sum one can live off the interest from deposits. First, we will calculate the size of the monthly income (taking taxes into account). For example, let's take the nominal salary at the current moment — 108,300 rubles. Thus, the annual amount will be 108,300 * 12 = 1,299,600.

      Let's take the average annual interest rate on deposits — 12%. The tax on interest is 13% (on the total amount of interest exceeding the established limit). Inflation (reinvesting part of the interest to maintain the purchasing power of capital) we will take as an average — 7%.

      Now let's calculate the option without considering inflation (spending all the interest). The net interest after tax is 12% × (1 - 0.13) = 10.44% per annum. Capital = 1,299,600 ÷ 0.1044 ≈ 12,445,000 rubles.

      The option considering inflation (spending only 5%, the rest compensates for inflation). We already know the net yield — 10.44%. To compensate for inflation, we need to leave 7% in the account. That is, we will increase the principal of the deposit. The remaining amount is 10.44% – 7% = 3.44% per annum. Capital = 1,299,600 / 0.0344 ≈ 37,778,000 rubles.

      Living solely on interest from deposits is an option for very wealthy people. And let’s not live under the illusion that interest rates on deposits will remain double-digit for a long time. The time will come when deposit rates will be below 9%. And to receive exactly the same amount, the principal of the deposit will have to be increased.

      The best advice is to combine different instruments and be ready to periodically adjust the strategy."