Is It Better To Rent Or Buy?

Rent Vs Buy Calculator

Enter a home price, the rent for a similar home and a few growth rates. See which option leaves you wealthier and the year buying catches up with renting.

New to this? Read The Short Guide First →

Page updated 11 September 2026 · Scenario-based estimate

1 Your Numbers

Your Home Options

Not sure what to enter? Start with our example numbers. Planning to buy? Still enter the rent for a similar home, so we can compare.

Home Price (S$)

The example is a S$1 million home. Use the price of the home you have in mind.

Type Of Home

An HDB flat cannot be sold on the open market until its Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) ends: 5 years for most flats, 10 for Plus and Prime flats.

Downpayment (% Of Price)

A bank loan covers at most 75% of the price, so 25% is the usual minimum.

Mortgage Interest Rate (% Per Year)

Loan Tenure (Years)

Rent For A Similar Home (S$/month)

Only planning to buy? Still enter the rent you would pay for a similar home, not 0. That rent is what buying saves you; 0 would mean living rent-free.

Owner Costs Excluding Mortgage (S$/month)

Maintenance or conservancy fees, property tax, home insurance and repairs.

How Long You Plan To Stay (Years)

The comparison ends in this year.

Rent Increase (% Per Year)

Home Price Growth (% Per Year)

Try 0% to see a cautious case.

Investment Return (% Per Year)

What money not spent on the home could earn if invested. 5% is an example, not a promise.

Other Buying Costs (S$, One-Off)

Legal and valuation fees. We add BSD and any ABSD for you.

Selling Costs (% Of Sale Price)

Agent and legal fees when you sell at the end.

Buyer Residency / Homes Owned In Singapore

This sets your ABSD (Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty). Homes overseas don’t count.

Your Residency

Singapore Homes You Already Own

Buying With Someone Else?

Singapore Homes They Already Own

We work this out in your browser.

2 Your Result

The point where buying could beat renting

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ABSD depends on your residency and the Singapore homes you own. See the full breakdown in Full Stamp Duty →

Buying: Net Wealth At The End

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Renting And Investing: Net Wealth At The End

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Buying Ahead (+) Or Behind (−) At The End

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Monthly Mortgage Payment

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Cash Needed Upfront To Buy

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ABSD Included Upfront

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What This Estimate Assumes

Estimate only, not a forecast. Uses current BSD (Buyer’s Stamp Duty) and the ABSD (Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty) rate for the residency and Singapore homes you pick. Joint buyers pay the highest rate of any buyer. Remissions and refunds are not applied. If you sell within 4 years, we take SSD (Seller’s Stamp Duty) of 4% to 16% off the sale, using the rates for homes bought from 4 July 2025. For an HDB flat, buying can only count as ahead from the end of its MOP (5 or 10 years), because HDB does not let you sell on the open market before then. The renter invests the cash a buyer would pay upfront. Each month, whichever option costs less invests the difference. Prices, rent and investments grow smoothly at your rates. Owner costs stay flat. Leaves out tax, renovation, grants, CPF effects, rent deposits, investment fees and market ups and downs.

3 What Next

You have reached the last step in Buy A HomeSee Every Step AgainBuy A Home →Also UsefulWhich Home Loan Costs Least?Compare Home Loan Packages →Read The GuideIs It Better To Rent Or Buy A Home In Singapore? →

Before You Use This Number

What Does “When Buying Pulls Ahead” Mean?

It is the first full year when your wealth from buying matches or beats the renter’s investments, after selling costs. “Not in 10 years” means renting and investing stays ahead for the whole time you entered.

What If I Am Buying An HDB Flat?

Choose HDB Flat as the type of home. You must live in the flat for its Minimum Occupation Period before you can sell it on the open market: 5 years for most flats, 10 years for Plus and Prime flats, for a resale flat counted from the legal completion date. So buying only counts as ahead from that year, even if it catches up earlier on paper. HDB: Conditions After Buying A Resale Flat.

What Rent Should I Enter If I Only Plan To Buy?

Enter the rent you would pay for a similar home. The tool compares buying a home with renting the same kind of home. Entering 0 treats renting as free, so renting would almost always look better.

What Should Owner Costs Include?

A monthly amount for maintenance, property tax, insurance, and conservancy or management fees. Leave out the loan repayment.