Comparing renting against buying isn't just about the mortgage payment — a rough ownership estimate should also account for the fact that a portion of a mortgage payment builds equity, unlike rent. This tool gives a simplified side-by-side monthly comparison.
It estimates the mortgage payment on the loan amount after your down payment, then adds a rough estimate for property tax and maintenance, giving a more realistic "cost of ownership" figure to compare directly against monthly rent.
This is a simplified estimate rather than a full financial analysis — it doesn't account for closing costs, home appreciation, opportunity cost of the down payment, or tax deductions, all of which matter for a complete real-world decision.
Because everything runs locally in your browser, results appear instantly and nothing you type or upload is ever sent to a server.
Bookmark this page if you expect to use this tool regularly — it loads fast and behaves the same way every time, with no account needed.
This kind of task shows up constantly in everyday writing, coding, design, and admin work, which is exactly why a dedicated, focused tool saves so much back-and-forth.
A tool that does one job well, without a cluttered interface or unrelated features competing for attention, tends to be faster to use than a heavier all-in-one app.
If you find yourself needing this conversion or calculation often, keeping this page open in a tab is usually faster than digging through a bigger software suite's menus.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for building equity through the mortgage?
No, this compares raw monthly cash outflow; a full analysis would also consider that mortgage principal payments build equity, unlike rent, which doesn't build any ownership stake.
What estimate does it use for taxes and maintenance?
It applies a simplified estimate of roughly 1.5% of home value annually for property tax and maintenance combined, which varies significantly by location and property age in reality.