Buying a home
Rent vs Buy Calculator
See whether renting or buying comes out cheaper for your situation, accounting for mortgage costs, fees, home value growth, and what your deposit could earn if invested instead.
This calculator compares the total cost of buying a home against renting an equivalent one over the same period. It accounts for your mortgage payments, the upfront cash you'd tie up in a deposit and buying costs, ongoing ownership costs, and the equity you'd build — against rent paid and what that upfront cash could have earned if invested instead. Adjust the numbers below to match your own situation; the defaults are reasonable starting points, not a prediction for your local market.
The home
Use the Total Cost of Buying calculator for an exact figure.
Insurance, maintenance, and Local Property Tax combined.
Renting instead
Assumptions
Over 7 years
Buying looks €58,263 cheaper than renting over 7 years.
Net cost of buying
€87,942
After €122,912 equity at sale
Net cost of renting
€146,206
After €14,375 investment gains
Estimates only. This calculator is for general guidance and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Always confirm figures with Revenue, the RTB, your lender, or a qualified professional before making a decision.
Last reviewed: 17 June 2026. Sources: Central Bank of Ireland — mortgage measures.
How this calculator works
Buying's cost is your deposit and buying costs (stamp duty, legal fees, survey) paid upfront, plus every mortgage repayment and ownership cost over the comparison period, minus the equity you'd have if you sold at the end — your home's projected value minus your remaining mortgage balance and selling costs. Renting's cost is the rent you'd pay over the same period, reduced by what your deposit and buying costs would have grown to if invested instead at the return rate you set, rather than spent on a home.
This is a simplified, illustrative comparison — it doesn't account for tax treatment of investment gains, mortgage interest relief, rental tax credits, or the non-financial value of owning vs. renting. Treat the result as a starting point for your own decision, not a precise forecast.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ireland?
- It depends on your deposit, mortgage rate, how long you plan to stay, and how house prices and rents move in your area. Buying tends to look better the longer you stay, because selling and buying costs are spread over more years and you build equity. Use the calculator above with your own numbers rather than a generic rule of thumb.
- What counts as the 'cost' of buying in this calculator?
- It's your total cash outflow over the comparison period (deposit, buying costs, mortgage payments, and ongoing ownership costs) minus the equity you'd walk away with if you sold at the end — your home's estimated value, minus what you still owe on the mortgage, minus selling costs.
- Why does the calculator ask about investment returns?
- If you rent, you don't tie up a deposit and buying costs in a home — that money could be invested instead. To compare fairly, the calculator assumes that cash grows at the return rate you set, and treats the rented scenario's net cost as rent paid minus those investment gains.
- Does this include stamp duty and legal fees?
- Yes, as a single 'buying costs' percentage you can adjust. For an exact stamp duty and legal fee figure for a specific price, use the Total Cost of Buying calculator and feed that percentage back in here.
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Related guide
Renting vs Buying in Ireland: How to Actually Compare the Cost