Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare the total cash cost of renting versus buying a home over the number of years you plan to stay, to see which looks cheaper on paper.
About this rent vs buy calculator
Renting versus buying is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make, and the right answer depends heavily on how long you plan to stay and local market conditions. This calculator compares the raw cash outlay of each path.
How rent vs buy calculator works
Total rent cost is simply monthly rent × months. Total buying cost adds the down payment to the sum of all mortgage payments over the same period, using the standard mortgage payment formula.
Common uses
- Comparing cash flow between renting and buying for a specific timeline
- Checking whether buying makes sense for a short versus long stay
- Starting a bigger conversation about a home purchase decision
How to use this tool
- Enter your monthly rent.
- Enter the home price, down payment, and mortgage rate.
- Enter how many years you plan to stay.
- See the total cost comparison.
What to know before using it
This compares cash paid out only. It does not include home equity built, property appreciation, maintenance costs, property taxes, or insurance, all of which affect the real financial comparison, think of this as one important input into a bigger decision, not the whole answer.
Privacy and browser-first processing
This tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include home equity I would build by buying?
No, this compares raw cash paid out only, buying also builds equity in the property, which is a real financial benefit not captured in this simple comparison.
How long should I plan to stay for buying to make sense?
There is no universal number, but generally, the longer you stay, the more buying tends to make financial sense once upfront costs are spread out, model a few different timeframes to see how the comparison shifts.