Buying isn't automatically cheaper than renting once taxes and upkeep are counted. Enter your rent, a home price, and mortgage terms to compare the real monthly cost — then go deeper with the full planner.
Compare the true monthly cost of renting versus buying.
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No. Buying carries costs renting doesn't — mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance (often estimated around 1% to 2% of the home's value per year). In the early years especially, the monthly cost of owning can exceed rent. Whether buying wins depends on the price, rate, how long you stay, and how much of your payment builds equity versus disappears as cost.
Beyond the mortgage payment, include property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and ongoing maintenance and repairs, plus any HOA fees. A common rough estimate for taxes and upkeep together is around 1.5% of the home's value per year. Leaving these out is why simple 'mortgage vs rent' comparisons make buying look cheaper than it really is.
A ready-to-use spreadsheet (Excel & Google Sheets): the true monthly cost of buying (mortgage plus taxes and upkeep) compared side by side with your rent, using assumptions you control — delivered instantly after checkout. AI-assisted, human-built; not financial advice.
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