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
Buy
What to calculate next?
Suggested next step Auto Loan Calculator →Estimate the financing costs of buying a car.
Other useful calculators
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.
Why does resale value matter when comparing leasing and buying?
When you buy a vehicle, its estimated resale value can offset part of the ownership cost at the end of the comparison period. Leasing generally does not leave you with a vehicle to sell. A fair comparison should use the same time period and consider upfront payments, monthly costs and any remaining loan balance, as this calculator does.