One of the biggest financial decisions you'll make is whether to buy or rent a home. This calculator helps you compare real long-term costs.
The buy vs rent decision depends on many factors: home price appreciation, mortgage interest rates, opportunity cost of down payment, and local rent trends.
A common rule: if you plan to stay less than 3–5 years, renting is often cheaper due to closing costs and transaction fees.
Generally when you plan to stay 5+ years, your price-to-rent ratio is below 20, and you have stable income.
Home price divided by annual rent. Below 15 = buy, 15–20 = toss-up, above 20 = rent.