Rent vs Buy Compare long-term housing cost with down payment treated as an alternative investment and a full cost timeline chart.
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Open calculator Rent vs Buy Calculator This model compares net housing cost over time : renting includes down payment invested at your selected growth rate, and buying includes ownership costs plus home appreciation and selling costs.
Analysis horizon (years) Monthly rent (now) Rent growth (% / year) Home price Down payment (%) Down payment investment growth (% / year) Mortgage rate (% / year) Mortgage term (years) Property tax (% / year) Home insurance (monthly) HOA (monthly) Maintenance (% / year) Home appreciation (% / year) Selling cost (% of sale price)
Down payment amount $110,000
Mortgage payment (P&I) $2,781
Owner cost / month (excl. principal, month 1) $3,476
Down payment investment value (end) $301,787
Rent net cost at horizon $351,187
Buy net cost at horizon $415,503
By year 15, renting is cheaper by $64,316. Renting remains cheaper through the selected 15-year horizon.
$465.4K $336.6K $207.8K $78.9K -$49.9K 0y 3y 6y 9y 12y 15y
Move cursor over the chart to inspect any point in time.
Year: 15.00 Rent net cost: $351,187 Buy net cost: $415,503 Difference: Buy higher by $64,316