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Lease vs Buy Calculator

Compare the estimated cost of leasing a car against buying the same vehicle over a chosen period.

Enter your leasing and buying details in the white box. The orange box compares the costs and shows which option could be cheaper.

Lease

Monthly lease payment ($) Upfront lease payment ($) Lease-end fees ($)

Buy

Vehicle price ($) Down payment ($) Interest rate / APR (%) Loan term (months) Estimated resale value ($)

Comparison period (months)

Total lease cost $0

Monthly lease payment $0

Monthly loan payment $0

Loan balance at comparison end $0

Estimated vehicle resale value $0

Net buying cost $0

Estimated cheaper option $0

How the Lease vs Buy Calculator works

This calculator compares the estimated cost of leasing a vehicle with buying it over the same number of months.

The leasing cost includes the upfront payment, regular monthly lease payments and any estimated lease-end fees. The upfront payment is treated as an additional cost, separate from the monthly payments.

The buying calculation includes the down payment and loan payments made during the comparison period. It then accounts for the estimated vehicle resale value and any outstanding loan balance.

If the comparison period extends beyond the loan term, the calculator assumes no further loan payments after the loan has been fully repaid.

This is a simplified comparison. Sales tax, registration, maintenance, insurance, mileage restrictions, excess wear charges, financing fees and investment opportunity costs are not included. Actual lease and loan terms may differ.