Rent vs Buy Calculator
A simple side-by-side comparison of renting and buying for the years you plan to stay.
Inputs
Result
Visual breakdown
System view
See how this fits into your full financial system.
Zoom out and connect income, expenses, debt, savings, housing, transportation, and runway in one private system view.
Formula
Buy monthly = P&I + tax/12 + insurance/12 + maintenance/12. Total buy = down + buy monthly × months. Total rent = rent × months. Break-even = down ÷ (rent − buy monthly) when buying is cheaper monthly.
Example
$2,500 rent vs $400k home, $80k down, 7% / 30 yr over 7 years — see which total is lower.
Related: Affordability · Down payment · Runway
How to use
- Enter your current or expected rent.
- Enter the home price, down payment and loan terms.
- Add annual property tax, insurance and maintenance.
- Set the number of years you realistically plan to stay.
When it's useful
- Deciding whether to keep renting another year.
- Comparing a specific home against your current rent.
- Gut-checking short-stay vs long-stay scenarios.
Common examples
Common answers
- Is it cheaper to rent or buy after 5 years?Depends on rate, price growth and rent inflation — try both sides with realistic numbers.
- What's the break-even point?The year when cumulative buy cost first drops below cumulative rent.
- Should I include closing costs?Yes — they're real cash out of pocket on day one and shift the break-even meaningfully.
- What about home maintenance?Budget ≈ 1% of home value per year — it changes the result noticeably.
- Does this account for opportunity cost?Indirectly — a down payment not invested elsewhere is a real trade-off worth modeling.
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Frequently asked
Does this include home appreciation?
No — assumptions are kept simple and transparent. Real outcomes depend on home value changes and investment returns on the down payment.
Does it model equity built?
No. Treat the total-buy figure as an out-of-pocket comparison, not a net wealth comparison.
What about closing costs?
Not included here — use the Closing Cost calculator and add those to the down payment for a more complete picture.
Why does buying often win over long stays?
Fixed payments stop after the loan ends and one-time costs (down, closing) spread across more years.
People also calculate
More money & work →Simple comparison only — not financial advice.