Lease vs Buy Auto Visualizer
Lease vs Buy Car Calculator
What this calculator does
Leasing means perpetual payments. Buying means payments eventually stop. This calculator compares the cumulative cost over time.
The math, with a worked example
Lease total = monthly lease × total months. Buy total = purchase price + maintenance × total months. A $350 lease over 10 years costs $42,000. Buying a $25,000 car and paying $100 monthly maintenance costs $37,000.
Why this matters
A lease payment prices the car's best years forever; a purchase prices the whole car once and then only upkeep. Over 10 years, $350 a month of leasing is $42,000 with nothing to show; the $25,000 purchase plus maintenance is $37,000 and ends with a car you own.
Methodology and transparency
Lease total = monthly payment × months. Buy total = purchase price + monthly maintenance × months. Deliberately simple, and the simplifications matter: the buy side ignores financing interest, the lease side ignores mileage overages and disposition fees, and the owned car is given no resale value at the end — which actually understates buying's advantage. Everything runs in your browser; no data is sent or stored.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08
Common questions
Does this include resale value?
No. It compares cumulative cash out. A bought car still has residual value.
When is leasing better?
Leasing can make sense for business deductions or if you want a new car every few years without repair risk.