Lease vs. buy calculator

Compare the rough cash cost of leasing against buying the same building. This is a planning-level estimate, not a financing quote, it ignores appreciation, equity paydown, and tax treatment so you can see the simplification. Read the lease vs. buy insight for the qualitative side of this decision.

Run the numbers

Building square footage

Purchase price per SF

Down payment (%)

Loan interest rate (annual %)

Loan term (years)

Lease rate ($/SF/year, NNN base rent)

Years you plan to occupy

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How this estimate works

This is a cash-cost comparison, not a full financial analysis. It assumes:

The buy-side monthly cost is loan principal and interest plus an assumed 2.5% of purchase price per year for property taxes, insurance, and maintenance combined.
The lease-side monthly cost is the NNN base rent you entered. In practice NNN tenants also pay a share of taxes, insurance, and common-area costs, which roughly parallels the owner's carrying costs, so this comparison treats base rent as the apples-to-apples number.
Building appreciation, equity paydown, and the tax treatment of interest, depreciation, and rent are all left out. Over a long hold, buying usually looks better once you add in appreciation and equity, this tool only shows the cash side.
Lease rent is held flat for the full period, in practice most leases have scheduled increases.

Confirm any number you rely on with your lender, accountant, and a commercial broker before you decide.