# Should I Rent or Buy — context digest

> A free rent vs buy calculator and plain-English guides that show the year buying pulls ahead of renting, using your own numbers.

This file compresses every published page to a short lead and its headings.
The full text is at https://shouldirentorbuy.org/llms-full.txt.
Updated: 2026-11-12

## Rent vs buy calculator

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/

Should I rent or buy? Enter your own numbers. The calculator compares what you would be worth each year if you bought a home and sold it, against renting and investing the money you did not spend on owning. It runs in your browser and saves nothing. Visitors can send an inquiry to talk with a real estate professional.

Headings: Your result; How to read the result; Questions; Is this rent vs buy calculator free?; Why does renting win in the first years?; Are the default numbers today’s market rates?; Talk to a real estate professional

## Rent vs buy: how to compare them fairly

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/guides/rent-vs-buy/

A rent vs buy decision is a comparison of two sets of costs you never get back, plus what your savings could earn in the meantime. Last reviewed November 11, 2026.

Headings: Compare costs that never come back; Time in the home matters most; Count what your cash could earn; Beyond the math; Questions; Is it always better to buy than to rent?; Is rent just throwing money away?; On this page

## Should I rent or buy? A 10-question checklist

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/guides/should-i-rent-or-buy/

Answer these before you run the numbers. Each one maps to an input in the calculator.

Headings: Questions; Should I rent or buy if I might move in two years?; Should I buy if I can only put 5 percent down?; Quick rule

## The true cost of owning a home

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/guides/true-cost-of-owning-a-home/

The mortgage payment is only part of the bill. Here is each cost, whether you get it back, and where to find a real number.

Headings: Questions; What costs come with owning besides the mortgage?; How much should I budget for maintenance?; Price it, then test it

## Break-even and the price-to-rent ratio

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/guides/break-even-and-price-to-rent/

Two quick lenses on the same question: how long until buying wins, and how expensive homes are compared with rents.

Headings: The break-even year; Price-to-rent ratio; What moves the break-even year; Questions; What is the price-to-rent ratio?; Is there a magic break-even number of years?; On this page

## Method

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/method/

The calculator runs month by month. Every step is listed here. Last reviewed November 11, 2026.

Headings: What is left out; Questions; Does the calculator include the mortgage interest deduction?; Does it predict home prices?; Example inputs

## FAQ

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/faq/

Short answers that match the calculator and the method page.

Headings: Is this rent vs buy calculator free?; Why does renting win in the first years?; Are the default numbers today’s market rates?; Is it always better to buy than to rent?; Is rent just throwing money away?; Should I rent or buy if I might move in two years?; Should I buy if I can only put 5 percent down?; What costs come with owning besides the mortgage?; How much should I budget for maintenance?; What is the price-to-rent ratio?; Is there a magic break-even number of years?; Does the calculator include the mortgage interest deduction?; Does it predict home prices?; Can I talk to a real estate professional from this site?

## About and disclaimer

URL: https://shouldirentorbuy.org/about/

Should I Rent or Buy publishes a free rent vs buy calculator and short guides that explain the costs behind it. It is an independent site. It is not a lender, a mortgage broker, a real estate brokerage, or a financial adviser, and it does not take applications.

Headings: How the site is funded; Talk to a real estate professional