CalcAxis/Finance/Lease vs Buy a Car
FinanceUpdated · Aug 2026

Lease vs Buy Car Calculator

Compare leasing and buying over the same horizon, including payments, mileage, financing, depreciation, and equity.

~30s to useFormula and inputs shown·2 FAQs
Start with your numbers

Lease vs Buy a Car Calculator

Change the inputs that matter to your decision. Optional assumptions stay collapsed until you need them.

Decision view

Compare both paths or focus the inputs on one side of the decision.

Lease plan

Enter the payment, term, upfront amount, and mileage assumptions.

$
months
$
miles/year
$

Purchase plan

Model financing, ownership duration, and vehicle value.

$
$
months
%
months
OptionalCommon assumptions

Apply mileage, insurance, and maintenance assumptions to the comparison.

miles/year
$/month
$/month
Vehicle decision
Lower modeled monthly cost
$324.34

Buy has lower monthly cost. Lease is $524.00 per month in this model; buy is $324.34 after modeled equity.

Lease total$18,864.00
Buy net cost$19,460.27
Buy equity$14,045.40
Rate5.50%
Buying is lower in this scenario

This is a scenario comparison, not a recommendation. Change the term, mileage, financing, and value assumptions to test the decision's sensitivity.

Cost comparison over time
MonthLease costBuy net cost
1$3,399.00-$23,541.57
6$5,394.00-$21,249.43
12$7,788.00-$12,498.87
18$10,182.00-$9,748.30
24$12,576.00-$3,397.73
30$14,970.00-$647.16
36$18,864.00$5,163.40
42$18,864.00$7,913.97
48$18,864.00$12,398.54
54$18,864.00$15,149.11

Planning estimate. Depreciation is a simplified heuristic; taxes, fees, registration, incentives, residual value, and end-of-lease charges may change the actual result.

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