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Should you buy or rent in your target country? This calculator compares total costs over your planned stay — factoring in closing costs, property taxes, mortgage payments, appreciation, selling costs, and the opportunity cost of your capital. All country data pre-populated from our verified 2026 dataset.
Quick answer
The WhereNext Buy vs Rent Abroad Calculator compares total cost of buying vs renting over 1–20 years across 19 countries — pre-populated with country-specific closing costs (1–15% of purchase price), property tax rates, non-resident mortgage rates, appreciation assumptions (2–6%/yr depending on market), selling costs, AND the capital opportunity cost (what you'd earn investing the down payment instead). The break-even horizon ranges from ~3 years in low-transaction-cost markets (Thailand, Indonesia) to 7–10 years in high-transaction-cost markets (France, Italy, Singapore with ABSD). The only international buy-vs-rent calculator built for cross-border decisions.
Key facts
Auto-populated for Portugal:
Closing costs: 7–12%
Property tax: 0.3–0.45%/yr
Mortgage: 60–75% LTV, 3.3–4.5%
Buying becomes cheaper than renting after year 7.
Total Cost of Renting
$137,924
7 years with 3%/yr increases
Total Cost of Buying
$126,920
Net of equity at sale
1st Year Cash — Buy
$142,818
Down + closing + mortgage + tax
1st Year Cash — Rent
$18,000
12 months rent
| Year | Cumulative Rent | Cumulative Buy | Property Value | Your Equity | Buy Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18,000 | $65,670 | $309,000 | $83,572 | $-47,670 |
| 2 | $36,540 | $75,842 | $318,270 | $97,083 | $-39,302 |
| 3 | $55,636 | $86,022 | $327,818 | $111,049 | $-30,386 |
| 4 | $75,305 | $96,214 | $337,653 | $125,485 | $-20,909 |
| 5 | $95,564 | $106,424 | $347,782 | $140,408 | $-10,860 |
| 6 | $116,431 | $116,658 | $358,216 | $155,833 | $-226 |
| 7 | $137,924 | $126,920 | $368,962 | $171,779 | +$11,004 |
Closing costs: 9.5%
Annual property tax: 0.38%
Annual maintenance: 1%
Selling costs: 9.0%
Rent increase: 3%/yr
Appreciation: 3%/yr
Mortgage LTV: 68%
Mortgage rate: 3.9%
Opportunity cost: 5%/yr
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The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice. Property laws, tax rules, and market conditions change frequently. Always consult qualified local professionals before making property decisions.