Rent vs Buy Calculator
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Should you rent or buy?
Enter your numbers. We compare buying vs renting + investing the savings.
Start with a scenario
Starter $350K
Family $550K
Dream $750K
HCOL $1.2M
Custom
How long will you stay?
3 years
5 years
10 years
15 years
20 years
30 years
Rent.
Saves
$51,077
over
10
years
Never
Breakeven
$1,107
Monthly gap
87%
Yr 1 interest
Buy
If you buy a home
Home price
$350,000
Down payment
20% ($70,000)
Mortgage rate
6.8%
Loan term
30 years
Rent
If you keep renting
Monthly rent
$1,800/mo
+ Advanced settings
Home appreciation
3.5%/yr
Rent increase
3%/yr
Investment return
7%/yr
Property tax
1.1%
HOA / month
$0
Maintenance
1%/yr
Home insurance / yr
$1,500
Closing costs
3%
Selling costs
6%
Renter's insurance / mo
$15
Marginal tax rate
24%
Filing status
Single ($14,600)
Married Filing Jointly ($29,200)
Head of Household ($21,900)
Inflation rate
2.5%
Monthly cost comparison
Buying costs $0/mo more than renting
That difference gets invested in a diversified portfolio if you rent. Over time, it compounds.
Where your mortgage payment goes
In Year 1, 0% of your payment is interest
Most of your early payments go to the bank, not to building equity. The ratio flips over time, but it takes years.
Interest · $0
Principal · $0
Net worth over time
Buy (equity) vs Rent + invest the difference
The renter's investment portfolio grows faster early on, but the homeowner's equity catches up if you stay long enough.
Hidden costs breakdown
Hidden costs of buying
Hidden costs of renting
Total buying hidden costs
$0
Total renting hidden costs
$0
What if things change?
Market crashes 20%
Rates drop to 5%
Sell in 5 years
Rent goes up 5%/yr
The intangibles
The rewards that don't show up in a spreadsheet.
Why owning feels different
Why renting has its own wins
RENT
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