Mortgage calculator
Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare total multi-year renting and homeownership costs and equity.
Built for U.S. financial rules and mortgage conventions.
September 2026
Enter your details
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Understand the estimate
What your result means
This comparison models cumulative rent against the calculator's modeled ownership costs and equity over the selected time horizon. It is not a universal recommendation to rent or buy.
The current model includes rent growth, home price, down payment, mortgage principal and interest, property taxes, appreciation, remaining loan balance, and modeled equity at sale. It does not model homeowners insurance, HOA, PMI, maintenance, transaction or selling costs, or the opportunity cost of cash.
Important considerations
Before you decide
- Using a short time horizon without considering moving or selling costs.
- Treating home appreciation as guaranteed.
- Assuming unmodeled ownership costs are zero.
How we calculate
A transparent estimate you can inspect.
Formula
Compares the exact geometric series of cumulative rent paid against the net cost of buying (Down payment + Total P&I paid + Property taxes minus Home equity realized at sale: Future home value minus Remaining unpaid mortgage principal).
Privacy
Your values are calculated locally and are not sent to a server by this calculator.
Use with care
Results are for informational purposes, not financial, tax, legal, lending, or investment advice.
Understanding your results
The cost difference is a simplified comparison under the included rent, tax, financing, and appreciation assumptions.
Assumptions and limitations
- Excludes maintenance, transaction costs, PMI, insurance, and opportunity cost.
Common questions
Before you decide
Does this calculator include every cost of owning a home?
No. It does not model homeowners insurance, HOA, PMI, maintenance, transaction or selling costs, or opportunity cost of cash.
Does the result tell me whether I should rent or buy?
No. It compares the entered assumptions over a chosen time horizon; personal plans and unmodeled costs still matter.