Rent vs Own Calculator
Where does each path leave your net worth?
What the same place would rent for, estimated from the price. Type your own figure and it stops following.
This is the single biggest factor — buying costs a lot to enter and to exit, so a short stay rarely earns those costs back.
Your financing
$200,000 — minimum here is 7.50%.
Typical 5-year fixed rate. Edit to match your own quote.
After 10 years
Buying pulls ahead if you stay 6+ years
Buying comes out ahead by
$115,245
- Net worth if you buy
- $688,483
- Net worth if you rent and invest
- $573,238
- Cash to close if you buy
- $240,566
- Month 1 cost of owning
- $5,790/mo
- Month 1 cost of renting
- $4,225/mo
Net worth over time
Where the two lines cross is the moment buying overtakes renting and investing the difference.
Years from purchase
What each costs in month one
Cash out the door — not the same question as which builds more wealth. $1,489 of the first mortgage payment goes to principal, so it stays yours.
Owning costs $1,565 more each month at the start. That gap is what the renter invests.
Email me this breakdown
Send yourself these numbers — your inputs, the break-even year, and the full cost comparison.
These calculators are for illustration only and are not financial, legal, or tax advice. Rates, rules, and rebates change — confirm current figures with your lender and lawyer before relying on them.