Toolkit Feature

Rent vs. buy: see the real numbers, year by year

"Rent is throwing money away" isn't always true, and buying isn't always better. Run your own numbers with a year-by-year cost comparison.

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The rent-vs-buy decision depends on your specific numbers

Generic advice about renting versus buying rarely accounts for your actual rent, your actual mortgage rate, or how long you plan to stay. The rent vs. buy analyzer runs the comparison using your real numbers.

What the comparison includes

Year-by-year cost breakdown — see cumulative costs for renting versus buying at each point in your timeline.
Break-even insight — identify roughly when buying starts to outweigh the cost of renting, based on your inputs.
Side-by-side comparison — view both paths together rather than isolated numbers.

Why timeline matters most

The single biggest factor in the rent-vs-buy decision is usually how long you'll stay. Moving after two years changes the math completely compared to staying for ten. Running the year-by-year view against your own expected timeline gives a much clearer answer than a one-size-fits-all rule.

Who it's for

Renters weighing whether now is the right time to buy, and anyone trying to decide between renewing a lease or making an offer.

Frequently asked questions

What does the rent vs. buy analyzer compare?

It compares the total cost of renting against the total cost of buying, year by year, factoring in typical costs on both sides so you can see when buying starts to make more financial sense.

How many years does the comparison cover?

The analyzer produces a year-by-year cost breakdown over your chosen time horizon, so you can see how the comparison shifts the longer you stay in one place.

Does it tell me whether I should rent or buy?

It shows you the year-by-year cost comparison so you can make an informed decision based on your specific numbers and timeline, rather than a generic rule of thumb.

Get the Home Buying & Moving Toolkit

Free download for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.

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