Plug in any listing, then see what really happens over 5 years — comparing the down payment in the market against compounding rent increases and the equity you'd build by buying.
The Apartment
Pulled from the listing.
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The Comparable Rental
A similar apartment you'd rent instead.
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5-Year Assumptions
The numbers driving the long-term comparison. Defaults reflect long-run NYC averages — adjust to your view.
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% of sale
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Federal + state combined. Used to estimate the mortgage-interest tax deduction. Set to 0 if you take the standard deduction or rent.
Renter Disruptions
In NYC, the average tenant stays 2–3 years. Over 5 years, most renters move at least once — landlords sell, leases don't renew, buildings get sold. Each move means a broker fee, movers, and the search.
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Monthly to buy
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Monthly to rent
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5-Year Outlook
Calculating…
Net change in your wealth after 5 years, comparing buying this apartment to renting it and investing the down payment in the market.
Buy
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Down payment$0Closing costs$0Carrying costs (5 yr)$0Mortgage tax savings (5 yr)$0Sale proceeds (year 5)$0— minus selling costs$0
Rent + Invest
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Down + closing invested$0Monthly contributions (5 yr)$0Portfolio value (year 5)$0Total rent paid (5 yr)$0Forced moves cost (5 yr)$0
Net wealth change, month by month
BuyRent + invest
What the Numbers Don't Show
The buying advantages this calculator can't price.
Even when the spreadsheet leans rent, these are the reasons people buy — and they're real.
Agency over your space
Paint walls. Knock one down. Get a dog. Hang the heavy mirror. It's yours to change.
Real stability
No landlord deciding to sell, convert the building, or move family in. You stay until you choose to leave.
A better building
Owner-occupied buildings tend to be cleaner, quieter, and better maintained. Owners care about their investment.
Locked-in housing cost
Mortgages stay flat. Rent compounds. By year 10, your housing payment looks the same — your neighbors' won't.
Never apartment-hunt again
No more brokers, applications, guarantor letters, first-and-last-and-security. Time, money, and Sundays back.
Equity, not vapor
Every payment builds something you'll get back — not just a roof you're borrowing for the year.
Want this math on a specific listing?
Send me the link and I'll run the real numbers — comps, carrying costs, the works.
Estimates only, for educational purposes. The model assumes both households spend the same monthly housing budget — the buyer pays carrying costs while the renter pays rent and invests the difference at the market return ("invest the difference" model). Forced-move costs are deducted from the renter's portfolio at evenly-spaced points across the 5 years; in real life moves cluster around lease ends. Mortgage tax savings assume you itemize, that interest is deductible only on the first $750,000 of loan principal (TCJA cap), and apply the marginal rate you set; if you take the standard deduction, set this to 0. The model uses standard mortgage amortization and assumes a sale at year 5. It doesn't include homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, mansion tax above $1M, flip taxes, SALT-cap interactions on property taxes, or owner risks like special assessments — all of which can shift the math. Co-op maintenance typically already includes property taxes, so the property-tax field is hidden in co-op mode. Real markets are noisier than averages — your actual investment returns, home appreciation, and rent increases will vary. For a full picture on a specific apartment, talk to a lender, a CPA, and your agent.
