Is it better to rent or buy in St. John's?

It depends on the price you'd pay, how long you stay, and how home prices and investments perform. At a typical St. John's rent of $1,348/month, buying usually wins only if you stay long enough for appreciation and equity to outweigh the upfront and selling costs — often a decade or more. Run the calculator with your own numbers.

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Rent vs buy

Rent vs buy in St. John's

Compare the total cost of renting vs buying in St. John's over time, and find the break-even year. The answer is sensitive to home appreciation and investment returns — try your own assumptions.

Enter the home price you're weighing — city-level price benchmarks are coming.

Home price

Down payment

Mortgage rate

Monthly rent

Years

Home growth / yr

Investing / yr

Renting stays ahead past 25 years

After (years)	Net position
5	Renting ahead $124,687
10	Renting ahead $235,832
15	Renting ahead $389,340
20	Renting ahead $598,733
25	Renting ahead $881,551

Net worth compares home equity (if sold) against investing the down payment plus any monthly savings. Fixed assumptions: 25-year amortization, 1% property tax, 1% maintenance, 1.5% closing, 5% selling costs, 3% rent inflation.

Educational information only — not financial advice. The result is highly sensitive to the appreciation and return assumptions, which nobody can predict.

What's next

What home can you afford?The max price your income supports.Salary to buy a homeThe income a lender would require.Save a down paymentHow long it'll take to save.Cost of living & rentAverage rent where you live.