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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
$41,136
Net cost of buying$224,771
Net cost of renting$183,636
Home equity$681,819
Invested down payment grows to$65,949
Break-even: Year 12 — 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 | $65,102 | $23,525 | Rent ahead by $41,577 |
| 2 | $92,848 | $47,905 | Rent ahead by $44,943 |
| 3 | $120,176 | $73,168 | Rent ahead by $47,009 |
| 4 | $147,062 | $99,342 | Rent ahead by $47,719 |
| 5 | $173,476 | $126,458 | Rent ahead by $47,018 |
| 6 | $199,390 | $154,546 | Rent ahead by $44,844 |
| 7 | $224,771 | $183,636 | Rent ahead by $41,136 |
| 8 | $249,587 | $213,760 | Rent ahead by $35,828 |
| 9 | $273,801 | $244,950 | Rent ahead by $28,851 |
| 10 | $297,375 | $277,240 | Rent ahead by $20,135 |
| 11 | $320,268 | $310,663 | Rent ahead by $9,604 |
| 12 ✓ | $342,435 | $345,254 | Buy ahead by $2,819 |
| 13 | $363,829 | $381,046 | Buy ahead by $17,217 |
| 14 | $384,402 | $418,076 | Buy ahead by $33,675 |
| 15 | $404,097 | $456,379 | Buy ahead by $52,282 |
Some figures on this page date from Q2 2026 — see the breakdown below
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) · Census Bureau / FRED series MSPUS (median sales price of new houses sold, US). 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 7.18 — 5 November 2026
- medianHomePrice 410700 — Q2 2026