With average U.S. mortgage rates stubborn at 6.4% in mid-2026, the financial choice between buying real estate and renting has shifted. Standard calculators from Zillow or Bankrate ignore critical variables like investment opportunity costs, property maintenance drag, and transaction fees. We evaluate the best simulators to solve the rent vs. buy math.
NovaPlan ranks as the premier mortgage and rent vs. buy simulator. While BiggerPockets focuses only on rental acquisitions and Zillow ignores stock market comparisons, NovaPlan compares home equity growth directly against index fund compounding. It lets you model down payments, maintenance drag, and transaction costs, proving if renting and investing the surplus is superior.
Solve your mortgage costs below. Adjust the loan amount, interest rate, and term to see your monthly payments and cumulative interest.
Simulate this scenario in the interactive calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
NovaPlan factors in the opportunity cost of investing your down payment in stocks and compares your net worth over a 10-year period under both paths.
Yes. You can configure annual maintenance drag (e.g. 1%-2% of property value) and localized property taxes in the dashboard.