Rent vs Buy Comparison Calculator
Compare renting with buying after the current ad valorem stamp duty, estimated agency and legal fees, and a selling cost if you exit. The gap is a scenario, not a market forecast.
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Assumptions
Projected net-worth gap
Buying leads under these assumptions
Adjust long-term assumptions
Stamp duty uses IRD’s Scale 2 / Scale 1 Part 1 table from 26 February 2026. First-time and second-home AVD are now the same for a single residential property. Agency and legal figures are estimates, not official fees.
Buying leads in projected net worth
10-year comparison
The two paths are close under these assumptions. Liquidity, job stability and whether you can keep a 30% deposit matter more than a small projected gap.
Upfront extras: stamp duty HK$135,000, agency HK$60,000, legal HK$9,000. If sold, estimated selling cost HK$73,140 is already deducted from the buying net worth.
View net-worth details
Total cost of buying
Includes upfront, mortgage and miscellaneous costs
Total rental cost
Accumulated rental expenses
Average monthly cost of buying
Average monthly rent
Final property value
Buyer's net worth
Value minus remaining mortgage and selling cost
Rent portfolio
Down payment plus monthly difference invested
Net worth gap
Buying higher
Scenario comparison
Save two sets of inputs and compare the results side by side.
Buying option
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Renting option
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Hong Kong rent vs buy after stamp duty and selling costs
Do not compare only monthly rent with the mortgage instalment. Buying needs a deposit, ad valorem stamp duty, agency commission and legal fees. The HKMA’s current residential LTV cap is generally 70%, so a private-home buyer usually needs about 30% down. Renting keeps that cash available, but rent can rise and moving has its own cost.
From 26 February 2026, IRD’s Scale 1 Part 1 and Scale 2 residential AVD rates are the same. Consideration of HK$4 million or below is HK$100; HK$6 million is 2.25%; HK$9 million is 3%. A single residential property no longer has a separate first-home AVD rate. This page uses that table.
Buying net worth is the projected property value minus the remaining mortgage and the selling-cost percentage you enter. Agency and legal figures are estimates, not official fees. Price growth is an assumption, not an RVD forecast. Banks still apply their own income and valuation checks under the 70% LTV and 50% DSR caps.
If the horizon is short, your job or city is uncertain, or selling costs flip the result, liquidity usually matters more than a small projected gap. If you can fund the deposit and stamp duty and intend to stay, the comparison is about housing stability and leveraged equity, not a promised outperformance versus rent.
Related guide
Hong Kong Rent vs Buy Analysis: Opportunity Cost & Net Worth
Compare long-term net worth, down payment opportunity cost, stamp duty, maintenance and mortgage interest between renting and buying.
Read the guideReferences
- 1Current ad valorem stamp duty rates(Inland Revenue Department)
- 2Macroprudential measures for property mortgage loans(Hong Kong Monetary Authority)
- 3Private domestic price indices(Rating and Valuation Department)
Site data last reviewed: 2026-08-09 · The sources above are for reference only; please refer to the latest official announcements from the relevant organisations.
Think a figure, rule or source needs updating? Report this pageFAQs
What else belongs in a rent-versus-buy comparison?
Is first-home stamp duty cheaper?
Why is the minimum deposit 30%?
Does the calculator forecast Hong Kong prices?
Why deduct a selling cost?
Does the result say I should rent or buy?
A useful scenario to try
Use the same five- or ten-year horizon and test flat property prices and lower rent growth.
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Client-side only: All data is calculated on your device and is not uploaded to any server. Results are for reference only and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice.