The most honest comparison on the internet. Compare the true 5, 10, and 20-year cost of renting vs. buying — including land transfer tax by province, CMHC, opportunity cost of your down payment, and home appreciation.
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| Year | Renting — Total Out | Buying — True Net Cost | Winner |
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The "buying is always better" assumption doesn't hold in every market or every life situation. The real question is: what is the true cost of each path including every dollar of interest, tax, maintenance, and the hidden opportunity cost of tying up your down payment in a home?
Canadian-specific factors that shift the equation: Land transfer tax is a sunk cost — you pay it upfront on purchase (not on rent). The principal residence exemption means any capital gain on your primary home is completely tax-free in Canada, which strongly favours buying over time. CMHC adds to your mortgage if under 20% down.
Run the numbers before you buy, sell, or invest — estimate payments, taxes, affordability, and potential returns in seconds.
Buying usually beats renting in Canada over longer horizons (about 7 to 10 years or more) when the home appreciates and the owner stays put, but renting can win over short horizons or when prices are high relative to rents. Enter your numbers for a personal comparison.
The calculator totals the cost of ownership (mortgage interest, property tax, maintenance, insurance, closing costs and selling costs) and subtracts the equity you build, then compares it with rent plus the return you could earn investing the down payment. The principal residence is exempt from capital gains tax in Canada.
Reviewed November 2026 by the mortgage team at Top Mortgages Inc. Figures are estimates for general information. They are not a quote, an approval or financial advice, and lenders set their own final terms.
It depends on how long you will stay, local prices versus rents, your rate and what you would otherwise do with the down payment. Over 7+ years buying is often ahead, but not always.
Maintenance (about 1% of the value a year), property tax, insurance, condo fees, closing costs and the cost of selling.
No. The gain on your principal residence is exempt from capital gains tax in Canada.
It can limit rent increases for existing tenants, which makes long-term renting more predictable in some provinces.
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