Rent vs. Buy Calculator

Updated October 2026 · Rudy Flores

Owning and renting are both good choices at the right time. Change the assumptions to see how long you would need to stay for buying to pay off.

Zillow puts typical rent for Otay Mesa (ZIP 92154) near $2,978 a month, while owning a typical home there costs an estimated $5,014 a month with tax and insurance. The fields below start from numbers in that range; change them to match the home you are comparing.

A simplified model that ignores tax effects. Results depend heavily on the assumptions. Nothing here is a loan offer, a rate quote, tax or legal advice. Rates shown come from public data and change often.

More tools

• Mortgage Payment Calculator — See your real monthly payment: principal, interest, taxes, insurance and HOA in one number.
• How Much Home Can I Afford? — A quick, friendly estimate of the price range that fits your income, debts and savings.
• Buyer Closing Cost Estimator — Plan your cash to close: realistic low and high ranges for lender fees, title and escrow, inspections, and prepaid taxes and insurance.
• Seller Net Proceeds Estimator — Estimate what you would take home from a sale, and how it changes if the price moves.
• Refinance Break-Even Calculator — See how much a refinance could save each month, how long it takes to earn back the costs, and what it does to your total interest.
• California Property Tax Estimator — Estimate the first-year property tax on a purchase, including Mello-Roos, and how the bill can change over the next ten years.
• Moving Cost Planner — Budget the whole move: movers, packing, storage, temporary housing, deposits and the months you pay for two homes.
• ADU Return Estimator — Weigh a backyard unit: what it could cost, what it could rent for, and how long your cash would take to come back.