Just wondering what proportion of your household income you spend on rent or your mortgage?

DH and I are trying to make the best decision about where to move next, and whether to rent or buy: either scenario looks like it'll cost us about 50% of our combined income. Does this sound like a lot?

In the renting scenario: we would be able to live in a suburb we want to live in near the beach and close to work, but it will be a small apartment. And the money does feel like "dead money".

In the buying scenario: we can own a nice house, but it will be out in the suburbs. There's a long commute to work and different lifestyle. While I'm sure we'd get used to it, we're only considering this as an option now because rent is so expensive, it's comparable to buying in another area.

What decisions have you made about owning vs renting, and where to call home?