Buying
Renting
Last updated 28 August 2026
Why the answer depends on how long you stay
Buying front-loads its costs. The deposit leaves your pocket on day one, the early mortgage years are mostly interest rather than equity, and upkeep starts immediately. Renting spreads its cost evenly but never stops. That means buying usually looks worse in the first few years and better after enough of them — the break-even point is where the two finally meet, and it moves a lot depending on rates, rent, and how fast prices rise. This calculator finds that crossing point rather than declaring one option universally better, because over three years and over twenty the honest answers are often opposite.
Common questions
What does the break-even point mean here?
It's the year at which buying stops being more expensive than renting. Stay longer than that and buying comes out ahead on these numbers; move sooner and renting does.
Why is the deposit treated as an investment when renting?
Because if you rent, that money isn't spent — it can sit invested and grow. Ignoring that would flatter buying, so the comparison counts what the deposit could reasonably have earned instead.
Are stamp duty, legal fees and taxes included?
No. Purchase taxes, legal fees and the tax treatment of property differ enormously between countries, so including a single figure would mislead more often than it helped. Add your own local costs to the buying side when comparing.
Is my information stored anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is uploaded or saved.