Mortgage vs Rent Over Time

The Mortgage vs Rent Over Time Calculator provides a long-horizon (up to 30 years) comparison of cumulative housing costs for buying versus renting. Unlike the simpler Rent vs Buy calculator, this tool focuses on the total cost trajectory year by year with detailed assumptions for both scenarios. Enter home price, mortgage terms, property taxes, maintenance, rent, annual rent increase, and renter investment returns. The dual-line chart shows cumulative costs for each path over the full period, clearly identifying the break-even year. In the first 5-10 years, renting is often cheaper due to the high interest proportion of early mortgage payments plus transaction costs. The crossover point where buying becomes cheaper varies dramatically by market. This calculator helps you make the right decision based on your expected time horizon in the property.