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Rent vs. Buy Calculator
Compare the true long-term cost of renting against buying.
🏠 If you buy
🏢 If you rent
Tax benefit of ownership
✓ After 7 years
Renting saves you
$23,559
Net cost of buying$207,649
Net cost of renting$184,090
Home equity$679,978
Invested down payment grows to$64,745
Break-even: Year 10 — buying becomes cheaper from this point on.
ℹAt 7 years, renting (and investing the down payment) comes out ahead — try a longer horizon to see if buying catches up.
Net cost over time: Buy vs Rent
The point where the buy line crosses below the rent line is your break-even year.
In-content ad slot (8901234567)
Year-by-year comparison
Shows the cumulative net cost of buying vs. renting at each year — the point where buying dips below renting is the break-even.
| Year | Net cost: Buy | Net cost: Rent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $62,065 | $23,578 | Rent ahead by $38,487 |
| 2 | $87,450 | $48,014 | Rent ahead by $39,437 |
| 3 | $112,421 | $73,337 | Rent ahead by $39,084 |
| 4 | $136,953 | $99,575 | Rent ahead by $37,377 |
| 5 | $161,020 | $126,760 | Rent ahead by $34,260 |
| 6 | $184,595 | $154,921 | Rent ahead by $29,674 |
| 7 | $207,649 | $184,090 | Rent ahead by $23,559 |
| 8 | $230,151 | $214,298 | Rent ahead by $15,853 |
| 9 | $252,068 | $245,579 | Rent ahead by $6,489 |
| 10 ✓ | $273,366 | $277,966 | Buy ahead by $4,600 |
| 11 | $294,006 | $311,492 | Buy ahead by $17,486 |
| 12 | $313,950 | $346,193 | Buy ahead by $32,243 |
| 13 | $333,156 | $382,104 | Buy ahead by $48,948 |
| 14 | $351,578 | $419,260 | Buy ahead by $67,682 |
| 15 | $369,169 | $457,699 | Buy ahead by $88,529 |
Some figures on this page date from Q1 2026 — see the breakdown below
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) · FRED/Census Bureau. Market rates move continuously. Figures on this page may be behind the current market — confirm the current rate with the source or your provider before making a decision.
- mortgage30yr 6.66 — 27 August 2026
- medianHomePrice 403200 — Q1 2026