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Compare renting vs buying a home. Enter rent, home price, mortgage rate. Get monthly costs and total comparison. Free online calculator with instant
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Calculate down payment amount from home price and percentage. Get loan amount. Essential for home buying. Free online calculator with instant browser-based
Total monthly cost of owning includes mortgage payment (P&I), property tax, insurance, HOA fees, and maintenance (typically 1% of home value annually).
Monthly Cost = Mortgage P&I + (Property Tax + Insurance + Maintenance) ÷ 12Buying becomes financially favorable when equity buildup and appreciation exceed transaction costs (typically 5–7 years). Closing costs are ~2–5% of purchase price.
Break-Even ≈ Closing Costs ÷ (Monthly Rent − Net Monthly Ownership Cost + Monthly Equity Build)The Rent vs Buy Calculator applies the canonical formula for this domain using validated reference equations. Inputs are type-checked and unit-normalized before evaluation.
Result = f(input₁, input₂, …)Updated: July 2026
Comparing $2,200/month rent against buying a $450,000 condo with 20% down at 6.5% for 30 years.
→ Mortgage ~$2,280 + tax/insurance ~$600 = ~$2,880/month ownership
A couple comparing renting a house at $1,800/month vs buying at $320,000 in a lower-cost market.
→ Buying may break even in ~5 years with 3% annual appreciation
A professional uses the Rent vs Buy Calculator during client work to produce accurate numbers quickly without opening a spreadsheet.
Ownership includes property tax, insurance, maintenance (~1%/year), HOA, and opportunity cost of down payment. A $2,000 mortgage often means $2,800+ total monthly cost.
Selling costs (agent fees ~5–6%) mean short-term ownership (<5 years) rarely beats renting financially, even if monthly costs are similar.
Use our free Rent vs Buy Calculator for fast, accurate results in your browser. No signup or installation required — works on any device.