Rent vs Buy Calculator & Break-Even | Houses-for-Sale-Near-Me.net

Rent vs Buy Calculator — Break-Even Analysis

Estimate when buying a home becomes cheaper than renting by comparing total, all-in costs over time. Adjust the assumptions and watch the chart and figures update instantly.

Inputs

Tip: tweak only what matters—defaults are sensible.

Home price

€

Down payment (%)

Interest rate (% / year)

Loan term (years)

Buyer closing costs (% of price)

Property tax (% of price, yearly)

Maintenance (% of price, yearly)

Homeowner insurance (€/mo)

HOA / syndic (€/mo)

Home price growth (% / year)

Return if you invested your down payment (% / year)

Current rent (€/mo)

Rent growth (% / year)

Renter insurance (€/mo)

Comparison horizon (years)

Inflation / cost drift (% / year)

Method: we compare cumulative net cost of owning vs renting. Owning = all cash outflows (down payment + closing + monthly costs) minus equity gained (principal repaid + appreciation). Renting = rent + renter insurance (with growth). The break-even year is when owning’s net cost becomes lower than renting.

Break-Even Chart

Buy — cumulative net cost Rent — cumulative cost Break-even

Monthly mortgage (P&I) —

Break-even year —

Total save by year — —

How to read this: the lines show your total cost over time. Where the blue (Buy) line dips below the green (Rent) line is your break-even—beyond that point, owning is cheaper on a net basis.

Assumptions exclude income-tax effects, transaction costs on sale, and exceptional repairs. Adjust inputs to reflect your market (taxes, HOA, growth, etc.).

Rent vs Buy Break-Even Calculator

Trying to decide whether it makes more sense to rent or buy a home?
This interactive Rent vs Buy Break-Even Calculator helps you find the point where buying a property becomes financially smarter than renting.

By entering key factors like your home price, down payment, loan term, interest rate, property tax, maintenance, and rent, the calculator instantly projects the cumulative cost of renting versus buying over time. The clear break-even chart shows where both lines intersect — the moment when buying begins to save you money compared to renting.

💡 How It Works

Enter your figures — use defaults or tweak them to match your local market.
The calculator estimates your total cost of homeownership, including:
- Mortgage payments
- Property taxes
- Maintenance & insurance
- Closing costs
It compares this to your expected rent, adjusted for yearly rent growth.
The visual Break-Even Chart shows both cumulative costs (Buy vs Rent) and the exact year where owning overtakes renting.

Why Use a Rent vs Buy Calculator

This calculator goes beyond monthly payments — it considers the full financial picture of homeownership. Use it to:

Determine how long you should plan to stay in a home before it pays off to buy.
Understand how interest rates and property appreciation affect your equity growth.
Visualize how rising rents can make owning more affordable over time.
Experiment with different loan terms, tax rates, or maintenance costs to see real-world impacts.

Example

Suppose you’re considering a home worth €300,000 with a 20 % down payment and a 4 % mortgage over 25 years. With moderate property taxes and rent growth, the calculator shows your break-even point — the year when total ownership cost drops below renting. From then on, each year you live in your home builds equity and long-term value.

Make Smarter Housing Decisions

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or investor, this tool offers a clear, data-driven way to evaluate your next move. Adjust the sliders, explore scenarios, and make confident decisions about your housing future.

✅ Tip: Tweak only what matters — the default values already provide a realistic scenario for most European and North American markets.

Want to sell/let your house?

Advertise For Free Online