Updated: 4 November 2026

Rent vs buy comparison

This prompt compares renting and buying in a city from the purchase price, down payment, loan rate and term, similar rent and how long you will stay. It is a rough model, not financial advice.

text-rent-vs-buy — chatgpt — 63 words

Help me compare renting and buying a home in [CITY].

Price to buy: [PRICE]
Down payment: [AMOUNT]
Loan rate and term: [RATE AND YEARS]
Monthly rent for similar: [RENT]
How long I will stay: [YEARS]

Build a simple year-by-year comparison, list hidden costs on both sides, the assumptions that matter most and what I should check with a financial adviser. Not financial advice.

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Include maintenance, taxes and the opportunity cost of your deposit for a fair comparison.

Get a better result

What you will get

A year-by-year comparison of renting and buying in your city, the hidden costs on each side, the assumptions that matter most and what to confirm with a financial adviser.

Common mistake

The comparison leaves out costs such as maintenance and taxes.

Fix: Follow the tip and add repairs, society charges, property tax and the return your deposit could earn elsewhere.

Also watch for

You assume prices and rents stay flat. Ask for three versions with different yearly growth rates for the price and for rent, and see whether the answer changes.
You treat the output as advice. It is a model of your own numbers. Check the loan terms and tax rules with a qualified adviser before you decide.

Try a variation: include moving costs

Add “include brokerage, registration, furnishing and the cost of moving, for buying and for renting and relocating every few years”.

Still not right? Reply with this

Redo it with a stay of 5 years and then 12 years, and tell me at which year buying starts to win, if it ever does.