Car Lease vs Buy Calculator
Compare the cost of leasing with buying a car over the same period, including the car’s value at the end.
Free · No sign-up · Your inputs stay in your browser
Your numbers
Compare over the lease term
Your projection
Leasing costs less over this period
Cost to lease
$17,964
Net cost to buy
$19,716
Payments plus loan still owed, minus what the car is worth.
Loan payment
$626.12
Buying usually wins the longer you keep the car, because the steepest depreciation is in the first years and a paid-off car costs only its running costs. Leasing buys predictability and a newer car, at a price.
About this tool
Method, assumptions, practical next steps, and limits.
Compare the same period
A lease payment is almost always lower than a loan payment, because you pay only for the depreciation you use. A fair comparison looks at what each costs over the same months.
How the calculation works
Lease cost = due at signing + payment × months + end-of-lease fees
Buy cost = down payment + payments made + loan balance owed − car’s value
A 36-month lease at $399 with $3,000 at signing and $600 of fees costs $17,964. Buying a $36,000 car with $4,000 down at 6.5% over 60 months, with 58% of its value left after three years, costs about $19,716 over the same period.
The longer view
Buying tends to win the longer you keep the car, since depreciation slows and payments end. Leasing suits drivers who want a new car every few years and drive within the mileage limit.
