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Rent or buy calculator

Buying is not automatically saving and renting is not throwing money away. Put in your numbers and see which assumptions decide it.

CHF
CHF
CHF / month

Monthly rent for the same kind of home, without service charges.

% / year

The rate you actually pay, not the bank’s 5 % test rate.

% / year

Per year, before inflation. Swiss prices rose strongly in the last 20 years; nobody knows the next 20.

% / year
% / year

Per year, after costs. Applies to money not tied up in the home, on both sides.

%

Used for the imputed rental value and the deductions until 2028.

%

Notary, land registry and property transfer tax; they vary a lot by canton.

%

Agent and notary. Property gains tax comes on top and is not included.

years

Your result

Difference at the end
CHF 197’996
Buying catches up after
5 years
Net worth if you buy
CHF 958’769
Net worth if you rent
CHF 760’773
Owner’s costs in year 1
CHF 25’350 / year
Rent in year 1
CHF 36’000 / year

Your result, explained

After 20 years, buying leaves you about CHF 197’996 ahead: CHF 958’769 against CHF 760’773 if you rent and invest the difference.

Until the end of 2028 owners pay tax on an imputed rent and deduct interest and maintenance. From 2029 both end (Federal Council decision of 1 April 2026); first-time buyers keep a small, declining interest deduction for ten years, not included here.

A simple model: interest-only mortgage, no property gains tax, no surprise renovations. Use it to see which assumptions matter most.

YearBuyRent
5CHF 306’320CHF 300’007
10CHF 474’583CHF 409’109
15CHF 687’218CHF 557’888
20CHF 958’769CHF 760’773

Estimates for planning, not advice. Use at your own risk. Read the full disclaimer

How it is calculated

Each year, in francs of that year:

  • Owner: mortgage interest + maintenance (1 % of the home’s value). Until 2028, plus tax on the imputed rental value (65 % of the market rent) minus the deducted interest and maintenance, at your marginal tax rate. From 2029 no imputed rent and no deductions.
  • Renter: the rent, growing each year.
  • Whoever pays less invests the difference at the return you set; the renter also invests the own funds and the buying costs from day one.
  • Net worth: home value minus selling costs minus mortgage plus investments, against the renter’s investments. Buying catches up in the first year the owner’s net worth is the larger one.

Small changes in home-price growth, the mortgage rate and the investment return move the result most. Read rent or buy on the way to FIRE and check whether the bank would lend: mortgage affordability.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to the imputed rental value?

It is taxed until the end of 2028. From 1 January 2029 owner-occupied homes have no imputed rent, and mortgage interest and maintenance on them are no longer deductible.

Why does the renter invest money?

To compare fairly. The renter keeps the down payment and the buying costs invested, and each year whichever side pays less invests the difference.

What is left out?

Amortisation (it is forced saving on the owner’s side), property gains tax when you sell, large renovations and the first-time buyer interest deduction from 2029.

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