Rent vs Buy Calculator

The question every resident and new attending asks. This runs the real math — mortgage, taxes, maintenance, appreciation, and the opportunity cost of your down payment — and tells you which path leaves you wealthier.

Models both paths month by month. The cheaper-each-month party invests the difference; the renter also invests the down payment the buyer ties up. Whoever has more net worth at the end wins. Runs in your browser — nothing stored.

The home you'd buy

Home price

Down payment (%)

Mortgage rate (% APR)

Loan term (years)

Closing costs (% of price)

Selling costs at exit (% of sale price)

Ownership carrying costs

Property tax (% of value / yr)

Home insurance ($ / yr)

HOA ($ / mo)

Maintenance (% of value / yr)

Home appreciation (% / yr)

The rental alternative

Comparable monthly rent

Rent increase (% / yr)

Investment return (% / yr on invested cash)

Years you'll stay

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Buying

Renting + investing

Buying a home is a financial decision, not just a lifestyle one.

The free Financial Clarity for Physicians course covers how housing fits the bigger picture — and if you're weighing a rental property as an investment, our Real Estate Investing Calculator runs that math.

Educational tool only. Excludes income-tax effects (mortgage interest / SALT deductions), PMI, and transaction nuances. Not financial, tax, or real-estate advice.

Written and reviewed by Pouyan Golshani, MD, Interventional Radiologist — Last updated June 4, 2026