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KitWren

Rent vs Buy Calculator

Compare the long-term financial outcome of buying a home versus renting and investing the difference.

  1. Enter your numbers
  2. Results update as you type
  3. Copy the answer or share the link
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About the Rent vs Buy Calculator

Buying isn’t always better than renting. This calculator compares your net worth after a chosen number of years if you buy a home versus if you rent a similar home and invest the money you’d otherwise have spent on the deposit and higher monthly costs.

How does the Rent vs Buy Calculator work?

The buyer pays a deposit and purchase costs, then mortgage repayments and ownership costs. Their wealth is the home’s value (after selling costs) minus the remaining loan.

The renter invests the deposit and purchase costs instead, plus any monthly saving compared with owning. Whichever side spends less in a year invests the difference.

Frequently asked questions

What matters most in the result?

Usually the difference between home price growth and investment returns, how long you stay, and the price-to-rent ratio where you live.