Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare the real cost of buying a home against renting over the years you expect to stay. Free.
Scan to open on your phone
Point your phone camera at the code to open this tool.
Compare the real cost of buying a home against renting over the years you expect to stay. Free.
How to use Rent vs Buy Calculator
- Open the toolNo signup and nothing to install; it works as soon as the page loads.
- Set “Home price”
- Set “Down payment”
- Set “Mortgage rate”
- Set “Years staying”
- Set “Monthly rent”
- Set “Home appreciation”
- Set “Buying/selling costs”
- Read the resultChange any input and the result is recalculated immediately.
Worked example with the defaults
- RENTING SAVES · Over 7 years, renting costs less
- $171,203
Nothing you enter leaves your device
All of the work happens inside your browser. Whatever you type is never packaged up and sent to a server, and no request this page makes carries it.
That makes it safe for contract amounts, personal details and internal documents you would rather not hand to a third party — close the tab and it is gone.
What this tool does not do
Rent vs Buy Calculator only does what a browser can do on its own — it talks to no backend service. So it keeps no history for you and syncs nothing across devices; if you need a record, copy or download the result.
It is also not a substitute for professional judgement. For legal, medical or tax decisions, treat the output as a starting point rather than a final answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does buying sometimes cost more?
- Closing costs, interest and maintenance can outweigh the rent you would otherwise pay over a short stay.
- What does appreciation do?
- If the home rises in value, selling recovers equity and offsets your carrying costs, tipping the balance toward buying.