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Buy or rent calculator

Is it better to buy or to rent?

Compare the cost of owning a home with renting a like one. The chart shows what each side would hold if the home were sold at the end of each year.

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Buy or rent calculatorPropInsights.sg

Your numbers

Change a value and the results update at once.

The home you would buy
% of price
years
% a year
years
% a year
Management fee, sinking fund, insurance, repairs.
Renting a like home
Growth and returns
% a year
% a year
% a year
If you rent, the deposit and the monthly saving are assumed to earn this return. A higher figure favours renting.
% a year
For comparison, CPF OA pays 2.5%.
% of price
Annual value is the yearly rent IRAS thinks the home could earn. Property tax is a share of it.
x yearly rent
IRAS sets annual value from market rent.
years

Owning stays ahead from

Good:

After every cost and the return your deposit could have earned.

Owning stays ahead from: Year 4. After every cost and the return your deposit could have earned.
Cash at the start
S$422,600
Down payment S$375,000 + stamp duty S$44,600 + legal S$3,000
Owning, per month (year 1)
S$4,405
Interest, upkeep, tax and lost return on the deposit
Renting, per month (year 1)
S$4,000
Net position if you sold the home at the end of each year, against renting
S$, nominal. Owning is net of selling costs, SSD and the loan.
Owning: home sale proceeds plus savingsRenting: deposit and savings invested
Hover or use the arrow keys to read a value.
01m2m3m4m1591317212529
Chart data as a table
Owning: home sale proceeds plus savingsRenting: deposit and savings invested
1S$166,993S$452,787
2S$294,408S$482,914
3S$425,137S$517,134
4S$561,815S$551,437
5S$704,679S$585,787
6S$782,337S$620,145
7S$862,391S$654,469
8S$944,914S$688,714
9S$1,029,982S$722,832
10S$1,117,675S$756,772
11S$1,208,073S$790,480
12S$1,301,260S$823,896
13S$1,397,322S$856,959
14S$1,497,983S$891,238
15S$1,603,561S$926,887
16S$1,714,279S$963,963
17S$1,830,289S$1,002,521
18S$1,951,821S$1,042,622
19S$2,079,122S$1,084,327
20S$2,212,451S$1,127,700
21S$2,351,975S$1,172,808
22S$2,497,917S$1,219,720
23S$2,650,558S$1,268,509
24S$2,810,193S$1,319,249
25S$2,977,130S$1,372,019
26S$3,151,658S$1,426,900
27S$3,333,957S$1,483,976
28S$3,524,363S$1,543,335
29S$3,723,223S$1,605,069
30S$3,930,904S$1,669,271

Owning in year 1, per month

ItemPer month
Mortgage paymentS$4,504
Interest, part of the payment (a cost)S$2,413
Principal, part of the payment (saving: it lowers the loan)S$2,091
UpkeepS$450
Property tax (owner-occupied)S$133
Return the cash at the start could have earnedS$1,409
Cost of owning, principal left outS$4,405
Rent for a like homeS$4,000
Home price growth in year 1, if it grows as setS$3,750

Year by year

Owning and renting side by side
YearHome valueLoan leftSelling costsSSDOwning, netRenting, netOwning minus renting
1S$1,545,000S$1,099,907S$30,900S$247,200S$166,993S$452,787-S$285,794
2S$1,591,350S$1,074,153S$31,827S$190,962S$294,408S$482,914-S$188,506
3S$1,639,091S$1,050,044S$32,782S$131,127S$425,137S$517,134-S$91,997
4S$1,688,263S$1,025,153S$33,765S$67,530S$561,815S$551,437S$10,378
5S$1,738,911S$999,454S$34,778S$0S$704,679S$585,787S$118,892
6S$1,791,078S$972,920S$35,822S$0S$782,337S$620,145S$162,192
7S$1,844,811S$945,524S$36,896S$0S$862,391S$654,469S$207,922
8S$1,900,155S$917,238S$38,003S$0S$944,914S$688,714S$256,200
9S$1,957,160S$888,034S$39,143S$0S$1,029,982S$722,832S$307,150
10S$2,015,875S$857,882S$40,317S$0S$1,117,675S$756,772S$360,903
11S$2,076,351S$826,751S$41,527S$0S$1,208,073S$790,480S$417,593
12S$2,138,641S$794,608S$42,773S$0S$1,301,260S$823,896S$477,364
13S$2,202,801S$761,422S$44,056S$0S$1,397,322S$856,959S$540,363
14S$2,268,885S$727,158S$45,378S$0S$1,497,983S$891,238S$606,746
15S$2,336,951S$691,782S$46,739S$0S$1,603,561S$926,887S$676,674
16S$2,407,060S$655,257S$48,141S$0S$1,714,279S$963,963S$750,316
17S$2,479,271S$617,545S$49,585S$0S$1,830,289S$1,002,521S$827,768
18S$2,553,650S$578,609S$51,073S$0S$1,951,821S$1,042,622S$909,199
19S$2,630,259S$538,409S$52,605S$0S$2,079,122S$1,084,327S$994,795
20S$2,709,167S$496,903S$54,183S$0S$2,212,451S$1,127,700S$1,084,751
21S$2,790,442S$454,049S$55,809S$0S$2,351,975S$1,172,808S$1,179,167
22S$2,874,155S$409,804S$57,483S$0S$2,497,917S$1,219,720S$1,278,196
23S$2,960,380S$364,122S$59,208S$0S$2,650,558S$1,268,509S$1,382,049
24S$3,049,191S$316,956S$60,984S$0S$2,810,193S$1,319,249S$1,490,944
25S$3,140,667S$268,259S$62,813S$0S$2,977,130S$1,372,019S$1,605,111
26S$3,234,887S$217,980S$64,698S$0S$3,151,658S$1,426,900S$1,724,758
27S$3,331,934S$166,069S$66,639S$0S$3,333,957S$1,483,976S$1,849,981
28S$3,431,892S$112,472S$68,638S$0S$3,524,363S$1,543,335S$1,981,027
29S$3,534,848S$57,135S$70,697S$0S$3,723,223S$1,605,069S$2,118,155
30S$3,640,894S$0S$72,818S$0S$3,930,904S$1,669,271S$2,261,633

Red rows: renting leaves more.

Assumptions and rules used

These are the values behind every number on this page. They are always shown.

Rules applied as at
19 Oct 2026
Loan
S$1,125,000 over 30 years, 2.60% for 2 years, then 3.20%
Home price and rent growth
3.00% and 3.00% a year
Return on invested money
4.00% a year, same for both sides
Annual value for property tax
1 x a year of rent
Selling costs
2.00% of the sale price

Rules used

  • bsd.residential, rule dated 15 Feb 2023: 1/2/3/4/5/6% bands; 5% on S$1.5m to S$3m and 6% above S$3m. Source
  • property-tax.residential-owner-occupied, rule dated 1 Jan 2025: Owner-occupied: 0% on the first S$12,000, rising to 32% above S$140,000, in 8 slices. Source
  • ssd.residential, rule dated 4 Jul 2025: Holding period back to 4 years; rates up 4 pp to 16% / 12% / 8% / 4%. Source
  • cpf.oa-interest, rule dated 1 Jan 2008: The OA earns 2.5% a year, the legislated minimum, because the bank-rate peg is far below the floor. Source

Limits of this tool

  • Both households have the same housing budget. Each month, whoever spends less on housing invests the difference at the return above.
  • The home is assumed to be a first home that you live in, so there is no ABSD and the owner-occupied property tax rates apply. Property tax uses the rates in force on 1 Jan of this year for every year shown.
  • SSD is taken from the rule for purchases on or after the date it started; a sale on the anniversary counts in the earlier band. CPF is not modelled: money from CPF is treated as cash.
  • Growth, rent, rate and return figures are your assumptions. Change them and the break-even year moves, sometimes by many years.

Rule files last checked 4 Oct 2026.

Not financial advice; check current rules with IRAS and MAS. Results are estimates from the inputs and the dated rules shown.