Mortgage Calculator for US & International Buyers
Monthly payments, cash to close, rent vs buy break-even, and affordability, for US and international home buyers.
Planning estimates for monthly payment, cash to close, affordability, and rent vs buy.
$3,203/mo · Build more cash first
After closing you would be $56,716 below your emergency fund target. Enter how much you can save each month to estimate how long closing the gap would take.
- ·You'd be cash-negative after closing, can't cover emergencies
Renting is ahead at these numbers. Each line changes one thing and keeps the rest as entered.
- Staying longer: buying does not catch up with renting within 40 years at these numbers.
- A cheaper home: at about $442,960 (11.4% lower) buying draws level at 10 years.
- Higher rent: if rent were about $2,807 a month instead of $2,500, buying draws level.
- Faster appreciation: if the home gained about 4.5% a year instead of 3.5%, buying draws level.
Cash after close below is your savings minus the first two lines; the reserve is what you would like left over.
Drag the slider to see how your budget holds up if conditions worsen.
How monthly P&I shifts if rates move from your current 6.8%.
| Rate | Monthly P&I | vs. current |
|---|---|---|
| 5.8% | $2,334/mo | -$260 |
| 6.3% | $2,463/mo | -$132 |
| 6.5% | $2,528/mo | -$66 |
| 6.8%current | $2,594/mo | — |
| 7.0% | $2,661/mo | +$67 |
| 7.3% | $2,729/mo | +$134 |
| 7.8% | $2,866/mo | +$271 |
Buying doesn't break even within 30 years. Renting may be more cost-effective.
Four pre-set scenarios based on your current inputs. Click a name to rename it.
| Scenario | Monthly | Down payment and closing costs | 5-yr Cost | Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$500,000 · 20% down | $3,203 | $112,500 | $217,164 | 30+ |
$500,000 · 30% down | $2,878 | $162,500 | $197,706 | 30+ |
$400,000 · 20% down | $2,573 | $90,000 | $174,403 lowest | 5.3 yr fastest |
$500,000 · 40% down | $2,554 lowest | $212,500 | $178,248 | 30+ |
Replace a planning assumption with a real quote, such as your lender's rate, your insurance estimate or your agent's selling cost, to firm up the answer.
- Home price$500,000Sample value
- Down payment20%Sample value
- Mortgage rate6.75%Planning assumption
- Closing costs2.5% of pricePlanning assumption
- Property tax rate1.1% a yearPlanning assumption
- Home insurance$150 a monthPlanning assumption
- Maintenance1.0% a yearPlanning assumption
- Gross income$120,000Sample value
- Savings$80,000Sample value
- Monthly rent$2,500Sample value
- Home appreciation3.5% a yearPlanning assumption
- Rent growth3.0% a yearPlanning assumption
- Investment return7.0% a yearPlanning assumption
- Selling costs6% of pricePlanning assumption
- Marginal tax rate for the interest deduction0%Planning assumption
Planning assumption · Sample value. Planning assumptions are the site's starting estimates, not quotes or forecasts. Sample values are placeholders until you enter your own.
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $4,263 | $26,870 | $395,737 |
| Year 2 | $4,560 | $26,573 | $391,177 |
| Year 3 | $4,877 | $26,255 | $386,300 |
| Year 4 | $5,217 | $25,916 | $381,083 |
| Year 5 | $5,580 | $25,553 | $375,503 |
What this mortgage calculator includes
This is a full home buying decision tool, not just a payment estimator. It covers monthly cost, upfront cash required, rent vs buy break-even, affordability, and refinance analysis.
The US tab is built for domestic purchases with PMI, closing costs, property tax, and mortgage-interest deduction assumptions. The International tab adds country-specific planning guidance for foreign buyers.
Don't have a specific price in mind yet? Start with the Housing Affordability Calculator to see your price range first.
P&I, property tax, insurance, HOA, and PMI when applicable.
Down payment and closing costs, plus moving expenses and a cash reserve, shown as three separate lines with a total.
Includes equity paydown, appreciation, maintenance, and opportunity cost.
Front-end and back-end DTI with lender-style guideline ranges.
See how payment changes if rates move around your assumption.
Year-by-year principal, interest, and remaining balance.
Good to know before you use it
All results are estimates. Actual rates, tax treatment, insurance costs, and lender requirements vary by location, credit profile, loan type, and individual circumstance.
The international tab is for planning. Country rates are indicative benchmarks, not guaranteed loan offers for foreign buyers.
The rent vs buy model depends on appreciation, rent growth, and opportunity-cost assumptions. Small input changes can move the break-even by years.
This calculator is not financial, tax, or legal advice.
How to use this mortgage calculator
- 1Enter your home price and down payment
Start with the purchase price and how much you plan to put down. The calculator will estimate PMI when applicable.
- 2Set your rate and term
Use the rate you were quoted or a placeholder assumption to model different scenarios.
- 3Add monthly ownership costs
Include tax, insurance, HOA, and maintenance to complete the real monthly picture.
- 4Check affordability
Enter your income and debts to review front-end and back-end DTI against common lender guidelines.
- 5Review rent vs buy
Compare ownership against rent with appreciation, rent growth, and opportunity cost assumptions.
- 6Save or share your scenario
Use the encoded URL to revisit the same inputs or share them with someone else.
Frequently asked questions
How is the monthly payment calculated?+
What's included in cash to close?+
How does rent vs buy break-even work?+
When does PMI go away?+
Can foreigners get a mortgage abroad?+
How do bi-weekly payments save money?+
What DTI do lenders want?+
How does the refinance calculator work?+
Planning to buy abroad after relocating?
Check your destination budget first, then come back and run the mortgage numbers.
Sources and limits
Written and maintained by Relocation By Numbers. Sources and limits reviewed October 13, 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us in the feedback box below. Full methodology
City rent, home-price and property-tax defaults come from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 (tables B25113, B25109, B25058, B25064, B25077 and B25103). City price levels for housing, goods, utilities and other services come from BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Insurance and closing-cost defaults, and the dollar budgets for groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare and childcare, are planning assumptions, not government data; the price-level indexes only scale them by city.
Not included
- Does not include moving costs, currency conversion fees or cash reserve requirements.
- Property tax, insurance and closing costs are estimates unless you enter your own.