Rent vs Buy Calculator — True Cost Comparison | money-calc.com

Free rent vs buy calculator with break-even analysis. Compares total lifetime cost including mortgage, taxes, maintenance, opportunity cost, and home appreciation over any time horizon.

How to Use

  1. Home Details — Enter home price, down payment %, mortgage rate, and term
  2. Ongoing Buy Costs — Enter property tax rate, maintenance %, monthly HOA, and home appreciation rate
  3. Rent Details — Enter monthly rent and annual rent increase rate
  4. Comparison Settings — Set the comparison period and opportunity cost rate for your down payment
  5. Calculate — Click Calculate to see total buy vs rent costs, break-even year, and cost chart

FAQ

What is the opportunity cost of a down payment?

Money used for a down payment could instead be invested. The opportunity cost rate estimates what that money would have earned — typically 7% for a diversified stock portfolio. This is subtracted from buy costs.

Why might buying be more expensive in the short term?

Early mortgage payments are mostly interest, and transaction costs are high. In the first few years, total buy costs often exceed total rent costs. The break-even year shows when buying becomes cheaper.

Does home appreciation always make buying better?

Higher appreciation reduces the net cost of buying by growing your equity. But it is not guaranteed. The calculator lets you adjust appreciation rate to test pessimistic and optimistic scenarios.