Years of Rent Lost Calculator
Enter the rent, the period and a return to see the opportunity cost.
Total rent paid
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Enter values above
Years of rent equivalent
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Value if invested instead
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Rent in the final year
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Average monthly rent
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Opportunity cost
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Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly rent ($) | 2000 |
| Years renting | 10 |
| Annual rent inflation (%) | 3 |
| Investment return (%) | 7 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total rent paid | $275,133 |
| Years of rent equivalent | 11.5 years |
| Value if invested instead | $400,117 |
| Rent in the final year | $31,315 |
| Average monthly rent | $2,293 |
| Opportunity cost | $124,984 |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the Years of Rent Lost Calculator
- Monthly rent ($) — default 2000
- Years renting — default 10
- Annual rent inflation (%) — default 3
- Investment return (%) — default 7
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.
Frequently asked questions
The cash is gone, but you received housing in return. It is only “lost” in the sense that it builds no equity, unlike the capital portion of a mortgage payment.
It expresses the total rent in units of the first year’s rent. Ten years at 3% inflation equals about 11.5 years of rent, which makes the compounding of increases easier to see.
Yes, but compare net costs. Ownership has interest, tax, insurance and maintenance, and only the equity you build counts in your favour.