Useful Utilities

Rent vs Buy Calculator

Renting every month against buying once: break-even month, total cost over the period you own or rent, and the running comparison.

Fill in the values and calculate

Rent cost per month*What you pay every month as long as you rent
Buy cost, paid once*One upfront purchase that replaces the rental for good
Rental price rise per monthRentals that get pricier over time compound at this monthly shareDefault 0
Months you plan to need itHow long you will actually be paying forDefault 60

The form sends itself back to this page — results print below, computed on the server.

No results yet: fill the form above and press Calculate.

About Rent vs Buy Calculator

The purchase pays its cost once and needs nothing after; the rental costs real payments every month and can creep upward. Break-even is the first month where rent paid in total reaches the one-time cost, and past that month buying is the cheaper cumulative deal.

The running table and chart compare the two cumulative totals over the whole horizon, so a plan that looks cheap at month five and expensive at month sixty is visible as a shape rather than a single number.

Questions about Rent vs Buy Calculator

What does break-even month mean?

The first month at which total rent paid reaches the purchase cost. Before it, renting is the cheaper cumulative deal; after it, buying is.

What does the price rise model?

Rental plans whose price creeps up month to month, which compounds the rent total and moves break-even earlier.

Does the purchase need upkeep?

The model assumes the one-time cost covers everything for the whole horizon; add carrying costs yourself if the purchase needs upkeep.

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