Decision calculator
Rent vs. Buy Calculator
Renting and buying aren't just "rent payment vs. mortgage payment." This tool compares the total cost of each path over time, including taxes, maintenance, and what your down payment could otherwise earn.
- No Upload: your numbers stay in your browser
- Free: $0, no account, no sign-up
- Privacy: your inputs are never stored or sent; they vanish on refresh
- Modes: 1 side-by-side comparison from 13 inputs
Last updated: October 2026
Compare your situation
Fill in both sides — the defaults are reasonable US averages to start from.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include the opportunity cost of my down payment?
Yes. It applies the return you enter to the money that would otherwise go into the down payment and closing costs.
What costs of owning are included?
Mortgage payments, property tax, maintenance and insurance, buying closing costs, and selling costs when you leave.
Is my data stored?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.
In depth
How to read a rent vs. buy comparison
Comparing rent with a mortgage payment is the most common way to think about this decision, and it gives the wrong answer. A fair comparison looks at every cash flow on both sides over the same time period. This section explains what the calculator above counts and which inputs swing the result.
What each side includes
Renting: rent each year, rising by your rent-increase rate, minus the investment growth you would earn by investing the down payment and closing costs instead of spending them on a house.
Buying: mortgage payments, property tax and maintenance for the years you stay, plus buying and selling costs, minus the equity you walk away with when you sell (the home's future value minus the remaining loan balance and selling costs).
Why rent vs. mortgage is misleading
- Part of each mortgage payment is principal, which is savings you get back when you sell, not a cost.
- The rest of ownership, including property tax, insurance, maintenance and transaction costs, never shows up in the mortgage payment at all.
- Your down payment has an opportunity cost: invested instead, it would keep growing.
The inputs that matter most
- Years you stay. Buying and selling costs are mostly one-time. Spread over two years they are expensive; spread over ten they matter far less. If you might move within a few years, renting often comes out ahead.
- Home price growth vs. investment return. If you assume homes grow faster than investments, buying will look better, and the reverse is also true. Test both directions.
- Selling costs. Agent commissions, transfer taxes and concessions can add up to several percent of the sale price, and they come straight out of your equity.
- Maintenance. Roofs, water heaters and appliances eventually need replacing. Budgeting a percentage of home value each year is a common rule of thumb.
A practical way to use the result
Find the break-even: increase "years you plan to stay" one year at a time until buying becomes cheaper. If the break-even is longer than you realistically expect to stay, renting is the safer financial choice. If it is shorter, buying may make sense, provided you can also handle an emergency repair without new debt.
What the model can't capture
Mortgage interest and property-tax deductions only help if you itemize, and many households take the standard deduction instead. Non-financial factors such as stability, school districts, flexibility, and freedom to renovate can reasonably outweigh a small difference in the numbers.