Rent or buy a car?
Paste a listing, break down every cost, and see what actually pays off based on how much you drive. Owning is a fixed cost — renting from Hertz, Localiza, Sixt or Kinto scales with your usage.
Renting vs buying: common questions
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a car?
It comes down to how much you drive. Owning is a fixed monthly cost; renting scales with usage. Below the break-even point, renting from a provider like Localiza or Hertz is cheaper; above it, owning is. This tool finds that point for your own numbers.
How does long-term rental from Localiza, Hertz or Sixt compare to owning?
Long-term rental bundles insurance, maintenance, registration and depreciation into one predictable price. Owning splits those into separate line items plus the opportunity cost of the capital tied up in the car. Enter a day rate above to compare them side by side.
What costs does owning a car really include?
Out-of-pocket costs — registration and tax, insurance, parking, inspection, car wash and maintenance — plus two people forget: depreciation, and the opportunity cost of the money spent on the car.
What is the break-even point?
The number of days per month at which renting costs the same as owning. Fewer days and renting wins; more days and owning wins.