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Rent vs. Buy Calculator

Should you keep renting, or is it smarter to buy? Enter the numbers and instantly see the total cost of each over time — and the exact year buying pays off.

The home you'd buy
Renting instead
Time frame & assumptions
Over 15 years

Net cost of buying
Net cost of renting
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How this works: “Net cost” is everything you'd pay over the time frame minus what you'd have at the end — for buying, your home equity after selling costs; for renting, the investment growth on the cash you didn't tie up in a down payment. Lower is better; a negative number means you come out ahead. An estimate for comparison only, not financial advice.
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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a rent vs. buy calculator decide buying or renting?
It totals the real cost of each path over your time frame — for buying: down payment, closing costs, mortgage, taxes, insurance and upkeep, minus your home equity after selling; for renting: rising rent minus the investment growth on the money you didn't put down. Whichever ends lower wins.
What is the break-even year on rent vs. buy?
It is the year buying becomes cheaper than renting. Before it, renting is ahead because closing and selling costs are spread over fewer years; after it, ownership and equity pull ahead.
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