Lease vs Buy Car Calculator
Compare the total cost of leasing versus buying a car over the same ownership period — buying costs are netted against the car's resale value at the end of the lease term.
Inputs explained
- Vehicle Price — The purchase price if buying. Example: 35000.
- Down Payment (if buying) — Cash paid upfront on the purchase. Example: 3000.
- Loan Annual Interest Rate — The auto loan rate as a percentage. Example: 6.
- Loan Term — Auto loan length in months. Example: 60.
- Expected Resale Value at End of Lease Term — What the car would be worth when the comparison period ends. Example: 21000.
- Monthly Lease Payment — The quoted lease payment. Example: 450.
- Lease Term — Lease length in months — also the comparison period. Example: 36.
How to use it
- Fill in the fields above — each input has a hint describing exactly what to enter
- Press Calculate to get your result instantly, right on this page
- Copy the result, save the tool to favorites, or share and embed it anywhere
Understanding the result
Example: Buying a $35,000 car with $3,000 down at 6% over 60 months costs about $18,229.90 net over 36 months (after a $21,000 resale value), versus $16,200 for a $450/month 36-month lease — leasing is cheaper by about $2,029.90 here.
Frequently asked questions
Why does buying's cost get compared against the car's resale value? Buying builds equity you can recover by selling the car, so the calculator nets the loan payments and down payment against the expected resale value at the end of the comparison period — leasing has no such equity to net out, since the car is simply returned.
Does this comparison assume you keep the car after the loan term ends? No — it compares both options over the same period, matching the shorter lease term (36 months in the example) even though the loan term (60 months) is longer, so the resale value used reflects the car's value at that earlier point, not after the loan is paid off.
Is the Lease vs Buy Car Calculator free to use? Yes — it is completely free, with no sign-up, no download and no usage limits. You can use it as often as you need.
Is my data private? Yes. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — the values you enter are never sent to our servers, stored or shared with anyone.
What information do I need? Just the following: Vehicle Price, Down Payment (if buying), Loan Annual Interest Rate, Loan Term, Expected Resale Value at End of Lease Term, Monthly Lease Payment, Lease Term. Each field includes a hint explaining exactly what to enter.
Can I use it on my phone? Yes — the tool is fully responsive and works on any device, and the same calculator is available in the EasyWorkCalcs mobile app.
Privacy
Everything you enter into the Lease vs Buy Car Calculator is processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or shared — your data stays on your device.