Rent vs Buy Calculator
Rent vs Buy Calculator is a free finance tool that runs directly in your browser with no account required.
About this tool
This calculator compares the net worth of renting versus buying over a horizon you choose. The buyer's side tracks mortgage amortization, property tax, maintenance, insurance, HOA dues, and eventual selling costs; the renter's side invests the down payment, closing costs, and any monthly savings at your chosen return. It reports the winner, the break-even year, the break-even rent, a year-by-year table, and sensitivity scenarios — all exportable as CSV.
How to use
- Enter the Home price, Down payment, Mortgage rate %, and Loan term years, plus your Current rent / month.
- Set the Compare years horizon and growth assumptions: Rent growth, Home appreciation, and Investment return.
- Fill in ownership costs: Buyer closing costs %, Property tax %, Maintenance %, Home insurance, HOA, and Selling cost %.
- Review the better option, net advantage, and break-even year, then use Download rent vs buy CSV for the yearly and scenario detail.
Frequently asked questions
How does the comparison define net worth?
The buyer's net worth is home equity after paying off the remaining loan and subtracting selling costs; the renter's is an investment account seeded with the down payment and closing costs, growing monthly at your investment return plus any month where owning would have cost more than rent.
What is the break-even rent?
It is the starting monthly rent at which buying and renting end your comparison period with equal net worth, found by binary search. If your actual rent is above it, buying tends to win under your assumptions.
Which sensitivity scenarios are included?
The base case plus rent ±10%, home appreciation ±1 percentage point, and mortgage rate +1 point, each showing both net worth figures and the winner so you can see which assumption matters most.
What are the input limits?
The comparison horizon runs 1 to 40 years, the loan term 1 to 50 years, and the down payment must be less than the home price. Rent and home price must be positive.
What does the model leave out?
Tax deductions, PMI, transaction timing, rent deposits, and inflation adjustments to maintenance or insurance. Results are directional estimates, not financial advice.
Is any of this data collected?
No — the whole simulation, including the break-even search and CSV export, runs locally in your browser.