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Free Online Rent vs Buy Calculator (No Signup) – FreeWWW
Rent vs Buy Calculator
Compare the financial impact of renting versus buying a home over time
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Purchase Details
Home Price
The total purchase price of the home you're considering buying
$
The purchase price of the home
Down Payment
%
Percentage of home price
Amount
$
Interest Rate
Annual mortgage interest rate. Current rates vary by lender and credit score.
%
Loan Term
years
Buying Closing Costs
Fees paid at purchase: loan origination, appraisal, title insurance, etc. Typically 2-5%.
%
Selling Closing Costs
Costs when selling: agent commissions, transfer taxes, etc. Typically 5-8%.
%
Ongoing Ownership Costs
Property Tax
%/yr
Annual % of home value
Tax Increase
%/yr
Annual increase rate
Home Insurance
%/yr
Annual % of home value
HOA Fee
$
/mo
Maintenance
Annual maintenance and repairs. Rule of thumb: 1% of home value per year.
%/yr
Appreciation
Expected annual home value increase. Historical US average is ~3-4%.
%/yr
Cost/Insurance Increase
%/yr
Annual increase of insurance and maintenance costs
Advanced Options
Investment Return
Expected return if you invested instead. S&P 500 historical average: ~7% after inflation.
%
Tax Rate
Your marginal tax rate for calculating mortgage interest deduction benefits.
%
Inflation Rate
%
Opportunity Cost
Weight for difference in liquid investments. 1x = full, 0x = ignore.
x
Rental Details
Monthly Rent
$
Your current or expected monthly rent
Annual Increase
%
Expected yearly rent increase
Renter's Insurance
$
/mo
Other Monthly Costs
$
Any additional monthly costs related to renting
Analysis Parameters
Time Period
years
Length of time for comparison
Include Down Payment
If renting, should we assume you'd invest the down payment instead?
Yes - Invest it
No - Ignore it
Initial Savings
$
Savings available at the start (if not using for down payment)
Monthly Savings
$
Extra amount saved each month (applies to both scenarios)
Calculate
Results
Show results for:
Recommendation
Based on your inputs...
Total Cost of Buying
$0
After equity offset
Total Cost of Renting
$0
Cumulative payments
Difference
$0
In favor of buying
Break-Even Point
N/A
When buying becomes better
Cost Comparison
Equity Growth
Net Worth
Home Value After
0
Years
$0
Equity Built
$0
Monthly Mortgage
$0
Principal + Interest
Monthly Ownership Costs
$0
Taxes, insurance, HOA, maintenance
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Year
Home Value
Mortgage Balance
Equity
Buy Costs (Cumulative)
Rent Costs (Cumulative)
Difference
How to Use This Tool
Enter rental costs
— Input your current or expected monthly rent, renter's insurance, and annual rent increase rate.
Enter home purchase details
— Fill in the home price, down payment, mortgage rate, property tax, insurance, and maintenance costs.
Set investment assumptions
— Adjust the expected investment return rate for money saved by renting and the home appreciation rate.
Compare the results
— Review the side-by-side cost breakdown, net worth impact, and the chart showing cumulative costs over time.
Save or share scenarios
— Save different scenarios to compare later, or share results with others.
Common Use Cases
Should I rent or buy a home in my city?
Enter local rent and home prices to see which option builds more wealth over 5, 10, or 30 years.
How much down payment do I need to make buying worthwhile?
Adjust the down payment percentage and see how it changes the break-even point.
Is it better to rent cheap and invest the difference?
Compare total costs when you invest rent savings at market returns versus building home equity.
How does a rising rent market affect my long-term costs?
Increase the annual rent growth rate to see how renting becomes more expensive over time.
What mortgage rate makes buying a bad deal?
Experiment with different interest rates to find the tipping point where renting wins financially.
