Rent or Buy calculator

Rent or buy: which leaves you ahead?

A side-by-side look at owning and renting over time, including what the renter could earn by investing the difference.

01Renting

Monthly rent

Rent increase (per year)

Renters insurance (per year)

02Buying

Home price

Down payment

Interest rate

Use a rate you’ve been quoted. Rates change daily.

Loan term

Property tax (per year)

Homeowners insurance (per year)

HOA dues (per month)

Maintenance (per year, % of value)

PMI rate (if under 20% down)

03Assumptions

Years you plan to stay

Home value change (per year)

Can be negative. Past appreciation doesn’t predict future results.

Return on invested savings

Buyer closing costs

Cost to sell later

Commissions, title, excise tax, etc.

▦Year by year

Year	Home value	Loan balance	Owner net worth	Renter net worth	Difference
1	$437,750	$378,225	$28,883	$72,119	−$43,237
2	$450,883	$373,663	$45,658	$89,267	−$43,609
3	$464,409	$368,796	$63,104	$106,689	−$43,584
4	$478,341	$363,603	$81,254	$124,382	−$43,128
5	$492,691	$358,062	$100,141	$142,342	−$42,201
6	$507,472	$352,150	$119,799	$160,564	−$40,765
7	$522,696	$345,842	$140,266	$179,041	−$38,776

±Trade-offs to weigh

Owning

Builds equity through principal paydown and any appreciation
Principal & interest stays fixed on a fixed-rate loan
Control over the property

Renting

Less cash upfront and lower costs to move
No maintenance or property-tax risk
Savings can be invested elsewhere

Neither option is right for everyone. It depends on your timeline, cash and comfort with risk.

ƒHow this is calculated

The renter starts by investing the down payment and buyer closing costs. Each month, whichever side pays less invests the difference at the chosen return.
Owner net worth = home value − selling costs − loan balance + any invested savings.
Not included: income-tax effects, capital-gains rules and moving costs. Results swing a lot with appreciation and how long you stay.

Estimates for illustration only. This is not a loan offer, rate quote, or commitment to lend. Results come only from the numbers entered above. Interest rates are examples you supply, not advertised rates, so check current rates before deciding. Fee schedules and limits shown are published figures that can change.

This calculator is being provided for educational purposes only. The results are estimates based on information you provided and may not reflect CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC product terms. The information cannot be used by CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC to determine a customer’s eligibility for a specific product or service.

Austin Gerimonte, NMLS #2277430 · CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC NMLS #3029 · Equal Housing Lender · NMLSConsumerAccess.org