Should you rent or buy?

How it works

Both households start with the same liquid wealth (down payment + closing costs). The renter invests that lump sum at t = 0. Each month, whichever side has the lower outflow invests the difference. After your chosen horizon, we compare the buy-side net worth (home equity + portfolio) against the rent-side net worth (portfolio − unrealized capital-gains tax).

Country-specific taxes ripple through the buy-side cash flow once a year, so a Dutch HRA refund or an Italian mutuo deduction shows up where it belongs: as extra investable cash for the buyer.

See the methodology page for the full math.