Buy vs Rent Calculator

Know when buying beats renting.

This calculator finds the year owning a home overtakes renting for you, weighing your mortgage, taxes, upkeep, appreciation, and the opportunity cost of your down payment.

Buying

$
%
%
yrs

Renting

$
%
%

What a renter could earn by investing the down payment and any monthly savings instead.

Break-even point

Year 30

Buying makes sense if you stay 30+ years

Monthly mortgage

$2,023

vs $2,000/mo rent today

30-year net difference

$21,144

Buying comes out ahead by year 30

Upfront cost

$92,000

$80,000 down + $12,000 closing

Cumulative cost over time

Net cost of buying vs renting, year by year

Buying
Renting

Based on your inputs, buying becomes cheaper than renting after 30 years. If you plan to stay longer than that, buying is the stronger financial move. This weighs your mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance, home appreciation, and the opportunity cost of investing your down payment instead.

Default values reflect mid-2026 U.S. national averages from public data (FHFA, Freddie Mac, HUD and the U.S. Census, and the BLS). This is an educational estimate based on the numbers you enter, not financial advice. It does not model mortgage insurance, tax deductions, or transaction costs when selling. For a decision tailored to your finances, connect your full picture in Aligre or speak with a licensed professional.

Your break-even year is one input, not the whole decision.

This tool weighs buying against renting on the numbers alone. Aligre connects that answer to your income, savings, taxes, and timeline, so you can see whether you're actually ready to make the move.

See your full readiness picture
  • 100% Privacy
  • Encrypted Data
  • Free to use. Always
Aligre dashboard showing Selling & Buying Projections

Tools that answer the next question

Every Aligre tool is free, objective, and takes a few minutes.

View all tools

Mortgage Affordability Calculator

Enter your income, debts, and credit to see your estimated home price range and monthly payment in real time. Objective, instant, and free.

Open tool

Down Payment Planner

Map your savings across accounts and see three realistic paths to your goal, plus the month you are on track to reach it.

Open tool

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common questions about Real Estate and Aligre.

Contact Us