Spain — verify the tax figures before relying on this.
The Spanish purchase taxes (ITP for resale, or IVA + AJD for new build), the reduced-rate eligibility, the IBI estimate, and the plusvalía municipal in this result are best-effort 2026 defaults and are not officially verified. They are set per autonomous community and per municipality and change frequently. Confirm the exact figures with your gestoría, notary, or the relevant ayuntamiento before making any decision. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Portugal — verify the tax figures before relying on this.
The IMT (progressive transfer tax) and Imposto do Selo (stamp duty) here use the official 2026 national tables, computed on the purchase price; the actual base is the higher of price or VPT (taxable value), and IMT Jovem eligibility has strict conditions. The IMI shown is the flat figure you entered, not an official lookup — your municipality sets the real rate on the VPT. For a second home, capital gains tax (mais-valias) is now included — 50% of the net gain at the marginal IRS rate you set — but the inflation coefficient on long holds isn't applied and a primary residence is assumed exempt via reinvestment, so confirm your own position. Confirm everything with your notary, solicitor (solicitador), or the Autoridade Tributária before making any decision. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Germany — check the figures before relying on this.
The Grunderwerbsteuer rate is applied exactly per Bundesland (3.5%–6.5%, as of June 2026). But the per-state rent, price, Hausgeld and Grundsteuer figures that prefill when you pick a state are typical 2026 estimates — they vary widely by city and property, and Grundsteuer depends on your municipality's Hebesatz (and the 2025 reform). The KfW amount is whatever you entered, modelled as a 0%-interest loan slice. Confirm the real numbers with your bank, notary, or Finanzamt before making any decision. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
France — check the figures before relying on this.
This result is set to a primary residence, so Taxe d’Habitation, the second-home surcharge and capital-gains tax (plus-value) don’t apply, and the IFI uses the 30% main-residence allowance (change “Residence type” above to model a second home). The notaire %, the CGT taper and the IFI brackets follow the 2026 national rules, but the per-city rent, price, Taxe Foncière and surcharge figures that prefill are typical estimates that vary by commune. The PTZ is whatever you entered, modelled as a 0%-interest loan slice. Confirm the real numbers with your notaire or the Service des Impôts before making any decision. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Italy — check the figures before relying on this.
The registration/VAT rates (2%/9% · 4%/10%), the €1,000 registration minimum, the 0.25%/2% mortgage tax, the IMU prima-casa exemption, the €90 Canone RAI, the 19% mortgage-interest credit (capped at €4,000 of interest) and the 26% / 5-year capital-gains rule follow the 2026 national framework. But the resale tax is charged on the cadastral value (defaulted to ~50% of price — set yours from the rendita catastale), and the per-city rent, price, IMU and TARI figures that prefill are typical estimates that vary by comune. Confirm the real numbers with your notaio or commercialista before deciding. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
United Kingdom — check the figures before relying on this.
The transfer tax follows the 2026 national framework — SDLT in England & Northern Ireland, LBTT (with the 8% ADS) in Scotland, LTT (with the higher-rate bands) in Wales — including first-time-buyer relief and the second-home surcharge, plus the HM Land Registry fee scale and residential capital-gains tax (18% basic / 24% higher, £3,000 allowance, main home exempt via Private Residence Relief). But the per-city price, rent and Council Tax figures that prefill are typical estimates that vary widely by property and local authority; the CGT figure assumes the 24% higher rate by default (your real rate depends on your income); and Northern Ireland uses Domestic Rates, not banded Council Tax. Every field is editable. Confirm the real numbers with your solicitor or conveyancer before deciding. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Republic of Ireland — check the figures before relying on this.
The stamp duty (1%/2%/6%), Help to Buy (€30,000 / 10% cap), LPT base rates, the 7× Vacant Homes Tax and the 33% / €1,270 capital-gains rule follow the 2026 national framework. But the per-city price, rent and LPT figures that prefill are typical estimates that vary widely by property; LPT uses the base rate (no Local Adjustment Factor); Help to Buy is legally new-builds only and capped at a €500k property; and mortgage protection is required only for owner-occupiers. Every field is editable. Confirm the real numbers with your solicitor before deciding. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Japan — check the figures before relying on this.
The tax rates follow the 2026 national framework (令和8年度) verified with the 国税庁 and 国土交通省: 固定資産税 1.4% (residential land ×1/6), 都市計画税 ≤0.3% (land ×1/3), 不動産取得税 3% with the ¥12,000,000 building deduction, 登録免許税 (land 1.5% / building 0.15% new · 0.3% used / mortgage 0.1% own-residence), 印紙税 reduced brackets, the 住宅ローン控除 (0.7%, 13yr new / 10yr used) and CGT (20.315% / 39.63%, ¥30M own-residence deduction). But every tax is charged on the 固定資産税評価鰵 (assessed value) — defaulted to ~70% of price, and split into land/building by a modelling assumption — so set yours for accuracy. The per-city price, rent, appreciation, utility and insurance figures that prefill are typical estimates that vary widely; the 住宅ローン控除 cap depends on the home's energy performance; CGT holding period is measured from 1 January of the sale year (this model uses exact years); and 団信 life cover is usually inside the rate. Every field is editable. Confirm the real numbers with a 税理士 or 司法書士 before deciding. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
South Korea — check the figures before relying on this.
The framework follows 2026 national rules: 취득세 1–3% banded for an own-home (default 8% for a second / multi-home), 지방교육세 (10% of 취득세 / 20% of 재산세), 농어촌특별세 (0% for homes ≤85㎡), the 생애최초 first-time reduction (up to ₩2,000,000), 재산세 (0.1–0.4% on 공시가격 × 60% + 도시지역분), 종합부동산세 (from ₩1.2B own-home / ₩900M general), 인지세, and the 1-home 양도소득세 exemption (sale ≤ ₩1.2B, held ≥ 2yr) with the 장기보유특별공제. But every value-based tax is charged on the 공시가격 (assessed value) — defaulted to ~65% of price — so set yours for accuracy. The per-city price, rent, deposit, jeonse ratio, 관리비 and utility figures that prefill are typical 2026 estimates that vary widely; 종부세, the 장기보유특별공제 and the 양도세 brackets are simplified; and policy-loan rates / LTV caps change frequently. The refundable deposit’s cost is modelled as forgone interest (deposit × savings rate ÷ 12). Every field is editable. Confirm the real numbers with a 세무사 or 법무사 before deciding. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
United States — verify the figures before relying on this.
The state figures here — transfer / deed tax rates and who customarily pays them, effective property-tax rates, and typical prices, rents, home insurance and closing costs — are best-effort 2026 estimates and are not officially verified. They vary widely by county and city and change often. Transfer-tax splits are negotiable; property tax depends on local mill rates and any homestead exemption; PMI is not modeled (add it under “Other” if you put less than 20% down); and the mortgage-interest deduction only helps if you itemize. No capital-gains tax is modeled, on the assumption the Section 121 exclusion applies to a primary residence. Confirm the specifics with a local lender, title/escrow company, real-estate attorney or tax professional before making any decision. This is an estimate, not tax or legal advice.
How Your Wealth Changes Over Time
This chart estimates how much wealth you may have over time under each option.
Renting: the money you would have used for a down payment, invested and growing — plus any extra you save in months when renting is cheaper than buying — minus what you pay for rent, utilities, insurance, and other renting costs.
Buying: the equity you build in the home — from your down payment, from paying down the mortgage, and from the home rising in value — minus what you pay for mortgage interest, property tax, maintenance, utilities, insurance, and the one-time costs of buying and selling.
Show details & examples
What this chart answers
One simple question: if you start with the same money today, which choice leaves you with more — and after how long?
Why both lines start at the same point
Both lines begin with the same amount of cash: what it takes to buy a home today — your down payment plus the one-time costs of buying (land transfer tax, legal fees, and so on). The buyer puts that money into the home. The renter does not buy, so they keep it and invest it. After that, each line just follows what happens to that money over time.
Think of each line as a score, not your bank balance. It adds up everything you gain and takes away everything you spend that you never get back — so both choices are measured the same way. That's why the renting line sits lower than your savings alone: the rent you've paid is taken off the score.
The renting line — money you keep and grow
- Start: your day-one cash, invested and earning interest.
- Add: in any month renting costs less than owning, you save the difference and invest it too.
- Take away: the rent, utilities, insurance, and other costs you pay. That money is gone for good.
The buying line — equity you build
- Start: your down payment, now part of the home.
- Grows two ways: each mortgage payment pays down the loan, and the home itself goes up in value over time.
- Take away: the money you never get back — mortgage interest, property tax, maintenance, insurance, utilities, and the one-time costs of buying and selling.
One key point: the part of your mortgage payment that pays down the loan is not taken away. It is not really a cost — it turns into equity you own. It is like saving without having to think about it.
The dot at the end — don't miss it
Selling a home is not free: there's the realtor's commission, legal fees, and sometimes a penalty for ending your mortgage early. The buying line shows your wealth before you sell; the dot shows what's left after those selling costs. So to compare fairly, look at the renting line next to the buyer's dot at the year you would actually sell.
A real example — with your numbers
Run the calculator above to see this example worked out with the exact numbers you entered.
Where the lines cross
The point where the two lines meet is your break-even — the moment buying catches up to renting (or the other way around). The longer you stay, the more the one-time costs of buying and selling get spread out, which is usually why buying pulls ahead over time.
These figures come straight from the values you entered above. Change any input and press Calculate again, and the chart, this example, and the winner all update together.
Monthly Unrecoverable Housing Costs
This chart shows money that leaves your pocket and does not come back as savings or home equity.
Renting: rent, utilities, home insurance, and other monthly costs.
Buying: mortgage interest, property tax, maintenance, utilities, home insurance, and other monthly costs. Mortgage principal payments are not included because they build home equity rather than being an expense.
One-time costs such as home purchase closing costs and home selling costs are not included in this chart.
Which choice wins — by home price growth and time
Each cell compares renting against buying for one scenario, set by two things: how much the home's price rises each year — the appreciation rate (rows) — and how long you stay before selling (columns). The number in each cell is the difference between the two options, not money you'll have in the bank. For example, $48k means you'd end up about $48,000 better off with the winning choice than with the other one. Green = renting wins, red = buying wins. Every cost is included — all monthly costs plus one-time purchase closing costs and selling costs. All other inputs from the form above stay the same.