Rent vs Buy Calculator
Use the Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare the long-term financial outcome of renting versus buying under your local cost assumptions.
- Housing decision support
- Equity versus liquidity comparison
- Long-term cost visibility
Compare properties and rentals in the same market, include realistic upfront and recurring ownership costs, use a consistent horizon, and stress-test appreciation, rent growth, and investment returns.
What this calculator covers
Inputs you can model
- Home price
- Monthly rent
- Time horizon years
- Down payment
- Mortgage annual interest %
- Mortgage term years
- Annual property tax
- Annual home insurance
- Annual maintenance
- Annual HOA fees
Results you can review
- Recommended choice
- Net advantage of buying
- Home equity after selling costs
- Total rent paid
- Total owner paid
- Monthly mortgage payment
- Break-even month
- Yearly snapshots
- Mortgage amortization schedule
Method, policy basis, and limitations
How the estimate is built
The model projects rent, mortgage amortization, ownership costs, property appreciation, selling costs, home equity, and the alternative investment value of cash-flow differences.
Important limitation
This is a scenario model, not a property valuation or lending decision. Taxes, maintenance shocks, vacancies, financing changes, transaction costs, market prices, and investment returns may differ.
Your inputs
Enter the values you know. Required fields should be completed first, and optional fields can be left blank if they do not apply to your situation.
Run the calculator to see the planning signal, key measures, reconciliation detail, and any schedules or stress scenarios returned for these inputs.
Your results
The top cards show the most important answers first. Detailed schedules, scenario tables, and supporting notes appear underneath for deeper review.
Inputs changed. Run the calculator again to refresh these results; copy, print, PDF, and Excel actions are unavailable until then.
This is a scenario model, not a property valuation or lending decision. Taxes, maintenance shocks, vacancies, financing changes, transaction costs, market prices, and investment returns may differ.