Rent vs buy calculator: is it cheaper to rent or buy a home?

Find out whether renting or buying costs less over the years you plan to stay. The calculator counts mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, maintenance, buying and selling costs, home value growth and what your down payment could have earned.

Questions

What does “net cost of buying” include?

Everything you pay (down payment, buying costs, mortgage, tax, insurance, maintenance) plus the return your down payment could have earned, minus what you would get back by selling the home.

Why does the answer change with the years?

Buying has large costs at the start and at the sale. The longer you stay, the more time home value growth and equity have to make up for them.

Is this a full financial model?

No. It is a simple, transparent estimate. It does not include tax deductions or investing the monthly difference.