Rent vs. Buy Calculator

See the real, long-term financial impact of renting vs buying in the Netherlands. We factor in Dutch wealth tax rules, closing costs, and compounding appreciation.

🏡 Renter Scenario

4%

🔑 Buyer Scenario

4%
3% / yr

⏳ Time Horizon

10 Years
The Verdict over 10 years

Buying Wins

You will be € 167.357 better off buying your own home rather than renting over the next 10 years.

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Sunk Cost: Renting

€ 259.332

Over 10 years, your total rent paid equals this amount. This money is gone forever.

📈

Sunk Cost: Buying

€ 91.975

This is the "loss" of buying (closing costs, interest, and taxes) minus whatever your home appreciated in value.

The Anatomy of Your Purchase

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Unrecoverable Costs

€ 246.737

Interest, closing costs, and taxes.

💰

Equity Built

€ 95.472

Mortgage principal paid down. (Forced savings)

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PropertyValue in 10 yrs

€ 604.762

Gained € 154.762 in appreciation.

Why isn't Equity counted as a cost?

When you pay rent, you never see that money again. When you pay a €2,000 monthly mortgage, a huge portion of that goes toward paying down the principal chunk of your loan. That money is effectively going directly into your own savings account. It isn't a "sunk" cost, because you get it all back when you sell the house.