The New York Times's "Is It Better to Rent or Buy?" tool is one of the best-known rent vs. buy calculators online — but full access typically requires an NYT subscription. This calculator covers the same core factors, is completely free, and takes about 60 seconds.
Enter your home price, rent, down payment, and mortgage rate to get a plain-English answer and a year-by-year break-even chart. No paywall, no account, no email required to see your result.
Open the Free Calculator →Free · No signup · Takes 60 seconds
The New York Times's rent vs. buy calculator, "Is It Better to Rent or Buy?", was originally built by the paper's Upshot section and has been a go-to reference for the rent-vs-buy decision for over a decade. It was substantially updated in 2024 to reflect current tax law, mortgage rates, and typical closing costs.
It's a genuinely well-built tool — it accounts for mortgage costs, property taxes, home appreciation, rent increases, and the opportunity cost of investing your down payment instead of using it to buy. The catch is access: like most NYT interactive features, it sits behind the paper's metered paywall, so unlimited use generally requires a subscription.
If you've hit your free NYT article limit for the month, or just don't want to subscribe to run a few numbers, a free alternative that covers the same ground can save you the trouble.
This tool is built around the same core rent-vs-buy methodology, with a few additions:
| Feature | NYT Calculator | This Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to use | Free within monthly article limit; subscription for unlimited use | Always free |
| Account required | No | No |
| Break-even chart | Yes | Yes |
| Opportunity cost of down payment | Yes | Yes |
| City-specific presets | No | Yes (13 major US metros) |
| Email yourself a copy of results | No | Yes |
Comparison based on publicly available information about the NYT's calculator as of 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times.