Rent vs Buy Calculator

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Compare renting versus buying a home over your stay. Weigh mortgage, taxes, maintenance and rent growth to see which saves more and when buying breaks even. Free.

Buying

$
$
%
years
%/yr
%/yr

Renting

$
%/yr

Your plan

years
%/yr
Verdict –
Total cost to buy –
Total cost to rent –
Home equity at sale –
Buying breaks even –
Simplified model: buy cost = down payment + mortgage + taxes + maintenance minus equity at sale; rent cost = rising rent only. It ignores closing costs, insurance, investment of the down payment and tax deductions.

About Rent vs Buy Calculator

The rent vs buy calculator compares the total cost of renting a home with the total cost of buying one over the years you plan to stay. On the buying side it counts the down payment, mortgage payments, property tax and maintenance, then credits back the equity you would hold at sale, including home appreciation. On the renting side it tallies your rent as it rises each year.

The verdict tells you which option saves more over your horizon and by how much, along with the year in which buying breaks even against renting — or a note that it never does within your stay.

It is a simplified model: closing costs, homeowners insurance, tax deductions and the return you could earn investing the down payment are ignored. Treat the output as a planning estimate, not financial advice. The tool is free and runs in your browser.

How to use Rent vs Buy Calculator

  1. Fill in the buying side: home price, down payment, mortgage rate, loan term, property tax, maintenance and expected appreciation.
  2. Fill in the renting side: current monthly rent and the annual rent increase.
  3. Set how many years you plan to stay.
  4. Read the verdict, the total cost of each path and your equity at sale.
  5. Check the break-even year to see when buying starts winning.

Frequently asked questions

It sums every cost of buying over your stay, subtracts the home equity you would walk away with at sale, and compares that net figure with the total rent paid over the same years.

The first year in which the cumulative net cost of buying drops below the cumulative cost of renting. Stay longer than that and buying comes out ahead; leave earlier and renting wins.

The big up-front costs of buying are spread over more years while equity and appreciation accumulate, whereas rent keeps rising with the annual increase you set.

Closing costs, homeowners insurance, HOA fees, tax deductions and the investment return you could earn on the down payment. Including them can shift the verdict, especially for short stays.

No. It is a simplified estimate to frame your thinking. For a decision this large, verify the numbers for your market and consider talking to a financial professional.
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