Rent vs Buy Calculator

Honest comparison — with opportunity cost, stamp duty, brokerage, maintenance and post-tenure property value. In most Indian metros, renting wins.

Inputs

%
% p.a.
years
%
%
%
%
%

Your result

Rent + Invest wins

Renting and investing the difference leaves you ₹2.62 crore richer than buying, over 20 years on these inputs.

Monthly EMI
₹55,541
Upfront cost (incl. stamp duty)
₹22.4 lakh
Property end-value
₹2.12 crore
BUY net wealth at end
₹40.57 lakh
Total rent paid
₹1.23 crore
Investment portfolio at end
₹4.25 crore
RENT net wealth at end
₹3.02 crore

The rule your parents got wrong

"Rent is wasted money" was true when your parents bought. Yields were 6-7% (annual rent / property price), and property doubled every 7-8 years. Today, in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, NCR, yields sit at 2.5-3.5% and appreciation has been flat for 4-7 years in many neighbourhoods. The math has changed; the family advice hasn't.

What this calculator does NOT factor

  • Home loan tax benefits (80C principal + 24b interest). Adds ~₹50-90k/year in tax savings for many. Bumps the buy case meaningfully.
  • Emotional value of ownership. Real, just not numeric.
  • Forced-savings discipline. If renting means you'd spend the saved EMI instead of investing it, you should buy. Run the calc honestly.
  • Mobility cost. Renting lets you change cities for a 20% raise. Owning often doesn't.