Rent vs buy calculator

Compare renting with buying over the years you plan to stay. Every assumption below is an example: change it to your own.

Budget 2027 measures not yet reflected

The Budget 2027 measures had not been checked when these rates were last reviewed. Figures may change once they are confirmed.

Some values need verification

Rules marked "Needs verification" were read in secondary sources (an adviser or agency note), not yet in the official text.

Last checked 2 Nov 2026. An estimate only. Ask a notary, your bank or the Commissioner for Revenue before you rely on it.

The starting figures are examples, not market figures. Replace them with your own.

Years you plan to stay

How long you expect to live there, in whole years (1 to 40).

Renting

Rent per month now (€)

What you pay, or would pay, for a similar home each month, in euro.

Rent rise per year (%)

How much you expect the rent to go up each year. Use 0 for no rise.

Buying

Price of the home (€)

The price you would pay for the home, in euro.

Deposit (€)

The cash you would put down. The rest is borrowed.

Mortgage interest rate (% a year)

The yearly rate your bank quotes, for example 4 for 4%.

Mortgage term (years)

How many years the mortgage runs.

Stamp duty as

First-time buyer

Second-time buyer (selling my current home)

Any other buyer

Assumptions

Home value change per year (%)

Use a negative number for a fall.

Notary and other buying costs (% of price)

Besides stamp duty, which is worked out for you.

Upkeep per year (% of the home’s value)

Repairs, common parts and insurance each year, as a share of the home’s value.

Selling costs when you leave (% of the value)

Agency fees and other costs of selling, as a share of the value when you sell.

Return on savings (% a year)

What your deposit and buying costs could earn if you rented instead.

Result

Buying works out about €116,463.88 cheaper over 10 years

Renting
Rent paid over 10 years (rising 3% a year)	€165,079.86
Cost of renting	€165,079.86

Buying
Monthly mortgage repayment on €270,000
Stamp duty	€5,000
Notary and other buying costs	€6,000
Mortgage interest paid	€97,399.25
Upkeep	€17,195.82
Selling costs at the end	€12,095.25
Return you give up on €41,000 of savings	€14,100.57
Change in the home’s value (€300,000 → €403,174.91)	− €103,174.91
Cost of buying	€48,615.98
Loan repayments that become yours (€57,283.31) are not a cost: they are part of your equity.
Your equity if you sell after 10 years: €178,362.97

An estimate only. Ask a notary, your bank or the Commissioner for Revenue before you rely on it.

Rates and limits used

Standard rate5%
Effective date not verified · Source: Duty on Documents and Transfers Act (Cap. 364)
Checked against the source
First-time buyer: no duty on the first €200,0000% · €200,000
From 28 Oct 2025 · Source: Legal Notice 305 of 2025
For a home you will live in as your only residence. You keep first-time-buyer status if you only ever owned a garage or a field.
Checked against the source
Second-time buyer: refund of the duty on the first €86,0005% · €86,000
Effective date not verified · Until 31 Dec 2026 · Source: Commissioner for Revenue: property duty refunds
Paid back after the deed, not deducted on it. You must sell your previous home within 12 months and claim within 6 months.
Needs verificationRead in KPMG Malta tax note (Feb 2026) and an estate agency note; not yet checked against the official text.
Urban Conservation Area or long-vacant property: no duty on the first €750,0000% · €750,000
Effective date not verified · Until 31 Dec 2026 · Source: Commissioner for Revenue: property duty refunds
The property must be in an Urban Conservation Area, or have been vacant for at least 7 years and be at least 20 years old. Restoration grants are separate.
Needs verificationRead in KPMG Malta tax note (Feb 2026) and an estate agency note; not yet checked against the official text.
Gozo: no separate duty rate5%
From 1 Jan 2024 (date not verified) · Source: Duty on Documents and Transfers Act (Cap. 364)
Grants for Gozo property (Housing Authority) are paid separately and do not change the duty.
Needs verificationRead in KPMG Malta tax note (Feb 2026); not yet checked against the official text.