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: Buying involves "lost" money like property taxes, HOA fees, and maintenance (often 1% of home value annually). Renting's primary unrecoverable cost is simply the monthly rent.

: Widely considered the gold standard due to its comprehensive inclusion of "unrecoverable costs".

: The interface uses several sliders that some find less precise than text-entry fields. Key Metrics to Watch

: Critics argue its default assumptions can be overly pessimistic toward buying, specifically regarding how high home price growth must be to "win".

: A quick rule of thumb used by analysts: 15 or less : Generally favors buying.

: Accounts for opportunity cost (what you'd earn by investing your down payment), the 2017 mortgage interest deduction cap, and localized appreciation.

Many experts note that calculators can "break" if you compare "apples to oranges"—for example, comparing the cost of a 2-bedroom apartment to a 3-bedroom single-family house. For an accurate result, you must use a Search Site like Zillow to find a specific home that is currently listed for both sale and for rent to use as your data source.

Calculator — Rent Or Buy Home

: Buying involves "lost" money like property taxes, HOA fees, and maintenance (often 1% of home value annually). Renting's primary unrecoverable cost is simply the monthly rent.

: Widely considered the gold standard due to its comprehensive inclusion of "unrecoverable costs". rent or buy home calculator

: The interface uses several sliders that some find less precise than text-entry fields. Key Metrics to Watch : Buying involves "lost" money like property taxes,

: Critics argue its default assumptions can be overly pessimistic toward buying, specifically regarding how high home price growth must be to "win". : The interface uses several sliders that some

: A quick rule of thumb used by analysts: 15 or less : Generally favors buying.

: Accounts for opportunity cost (what you'd earn by investing your down payment), the 2017 mortgage interest deduction cap, and localized appreciation.

Many experts note that calculators can "break" if you compare "apples to oranges"—for example, comparing the cost of a 2-bedroom apartment to a 3-bedroom single-family house. For an accurate result, you must use a Search Site like Zillow to find a specific home that is currently listed for both sale and for rent to use as your data source.