Rent vs Buy Planning Calculator

A bounded planning comparison

The calculator uses only the values you enter. Buying starts with the down payment and upfront costs, converts the entered nominal annual rate compounded semi-annually to an equivalent monthly rate, and assumes that one entered fixed rate remains unchanged through the full selected amortization period. It does not model a mortgage contract term, renewals, or rate changes. It adds annual ownership costs, projects home value, subtracts the remaining loan and user-entered selling costs, and reports ending equity. Renting adds rent and other renter costs and invests the buying scenario’s initial cash plus each positive or negative monthly cash-flow difference.

Enter actual local costs

Transaction taxes, legal or registration fees, insurance, property or council tax, building charges, repairs, and relief eligibility vary by location and circumstances. Combine the amounts that apply to you in upfront buying costs, annual ownership costs, annual renter costs, and estimated selling costs. The calculator does not infer a statutory rate or subsidy.

Read projections as scenarios

Home values, rents, investment returns, costs, and interest rates can differ from assumptions. Run conservative, central, and adverse cases. Buyer equity and renter investment value are projected ending wealth measures; cash-paid figures show housing outflows and are not tax returns or lender disclosures.

Primary context: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada home-buying costs and fixed-mortgage interest disclosure, and mortgage term and amortization guidance. Use actual quotes, bills, taxes, fees, and local rules for your property.