Rent vs. buy calculator

Buying isn't automatically better — it depends almost entirely on how long you stay. This compares both paths honestly, including the opportunity cost of your down payment.

If you rent

Monthly rent $

Rent increases %/yr

Return if you invest the down payment instead %/yr

If you buy

Home price

Down payment %

Interest rate %

Loan term years

Home appreciation %/yr

Property tax rate % of value

Insurance $/yr

Maintenance $/yr

Costs when you sell %

Years you plan to stay

Compares net financial position at the end of the period. It deliberately does not attempt to price the non-financial side — stability, freedom to renovate, or the flexibility renting gives you.

Result—

Estimates only — not a formal net sheet, loan estimate, or tax advice.

Get a precise number from Sarah

How it works

The break-even is about time, not timing.

Buying carries big one-time costs at both ends — closing on the way in, roughly 8% on the way out. Those costs get spread across however many years you stay, which is why a short stay usually favors renting and a long one usually favors buying.

This calculator also credits renting fairly: your down payment doesn't vanish if you rent, it gets invested. That opportunity cost is real, and most rent-vs-buy tools quietly ignore it.

Try moving the "years you plan to stay" number up and down. Watching the answer flip is usually more useful than any single result — it tells you your personal break-even point.

Whichever way it points

Let's talk it through with real numbers.

If the math says wait, I'll tell you to wait. If it says go, I'll help you go — with a plan for the corridor that fits your budget.

Book a free consult