Prepositions after adjectives

Affordable for or affordable to?

Affordable is usually followed by to when referring to people. Affordable for is also common when discussing price suitability for a group or budget.

Quick answer

How to use affordable

Use affordable to someone to mean within a person's budget: The apartments are affordable to young professionals. Affordable for someone is also widely used, especially when discussing whether a price suits a group or income level.

These homes are affordable to most families.
The plan is affordable for small businesses.
Public transport should be affordable to everyone.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
affordable to + person

Within someone's budget

Use affordable to to show who can reasonably pay for something.

The course is affordable to students.
The rent is not affordable to many residents.
2
affordable for + group

Suitable in price for a group

Affordable for is common when discussing whether a cost level suits a group or purpose.

The package is affordable for startups.
Healthcare must remain affordable for low-income families.
3
affordable at + price

Describing a price point

Use at with a specific amount or rate.

The car is still affordable at this price.
Housing is no longer affordable at current rates.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
affordable to
The tickets are affordable to most people.
within someone's budget
affordable for
The service is affordable for small companies.
reasonably priced for a group or purpose
affordable to buy
The laptop is affordable to buy.
possible but less natural than affordable or affordable for someone to buy
affordable for to
The apartment is affordable for to rent.
incorrect combination

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using affordable for to + verb

Do not combine for directly with an infinitive in this pattern.

✕ The bike is affordable for to maintain. ✓ The bike is affordable to maintain.

Using affordable with a person but no preposition

English normally uses to or for before the person or group.

✕ The service is affordable many families. ✓ The service is affordable to many families.

Confusing affordable and cheap

Affordable means reasonably priced for someone, not necessarily low quality or very cheap.

✓ The software is affordable for small teams.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The apartments are affordable ___ young workers.
2. The program is affordable ___ small charities.
3. The restaurant is still affordable ___ these prices.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is more common: affordable to or affordable for?

Both are standard. Affordable to focuses on who can pay, while affordable for often focuses on suitability for a group or budget.

Can affordable be followed by an infinitive?

Yes. You can say affordable to buy, affordable to run, or affordable to maintain.

Is affordable for everyone correct?

Yes. It is a common and natural phrase.

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