Tool · Rent vs. Buy
Rent or buy? See both net costs — and the year they cross.
The question that comes before every other homebuying decision. This compares what owning actually nets against renting over the years you plan to stay — upfront cash, carrying costs, and what you get back at sale, against rent plus the investment a renter earns on the down payment a buyer ties up. It shows the break-even year and names every assumption. It never tells you which to choose.
The home
The single biggest driver of rent vs. buy — the shorter the stay, the harder buying is to justify on cost.
Owning costs
A reserve for upkeep, as a percent of home value per year.
Upfront costs to buy, as a percent of price.
Agent commission and closing costs when you sell, as a percent of the sale price.
Renting
Assumptions
Assumed home-price change per year. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation.
What a renter could earn by investing the cash a buyer ties up in a down payment.
Over 7 years, the lower net cost is
Owning · $177,632
Renting nets $2,165 more at these inputs. This is a cost comparison, not a recommendation — both numbers are yours to weigh.
Break-even at about year 7 — the point where owning stops costing more than renting, at these assumptions.
Own — net cost
Rent — net cost
Monthly ownership cost is $3,194. Appreciation, rent growth, and investment return are assumptions you set — not forecasts.Mortgage-interest and property-tax deductions are excluded — most buyers take the standard deduction.
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