Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare the net cost of buying a home versus renting over the years you plan to stay, accounting for appreciation and equity.
Why "renting is throwing money away" oversimplifies it
Buying involves opportunity cost on your down payment, ongoing maintenance, property tax, and transaction costs on both ends — commonly 8–10% combined between buying and selling. Renting isn't inherently wasteful; it's a different cost and risk profile, not automatically a worse one.
The variable that changes the answer the most
How long you plan to stay typically drives the outcome more than the rate does. Buying costs are front-loaded through closing costs, so the rent-vs-buy breakeven often lands somewhere around 3–5 years depending on your local market.