Rent vs Buy Calculator
Renting or buying — which actually leaves you better off? Put your numbers in over the years that matter to you and compare rent, Stamp Duty, mortgage interest, maintenance and house price growth against the return you'd get investing the deposit instead.
Estimate only. Estimate — assumes fixed growth/rates; investments can fall; not financial advice.
Enter your rent and buying numbers
Add a monthly rent and a property price and we'll compare your net position after renting vs buying.
How this comparison works
Renting and buying cost money in very different ways. As a renter, you pay rent every month (which usually rises over time) but you keep whatever deposit you would otherwise have put down — and that money can grow if it's invested. As a buyer, you pay Stamp Duty and buying fees upfront, then a monthly mortgage payment, maintenance and insurance — but part of every mortgage payment builds equity, and the home itself may grow in value. This calculator runs both scenarios over the number of years you choose, using the same verified Stamp Duty and mortgage-amortisation engines as our other calculators, then compares the net financial position each option leaves you in. It's an estimate for illustration, not a prediction — property and investment markets can move in either direction.