Rent vs Buy · Updated June 2026
Rent vs buy in Dublin
Dublin in 2026: a typical centre apartment costs about $476,000 to buy ($6,800/m²) or $2,400/month to rent. With 20% down at 3.9%, the mortgage runs $1,796/month – but the true owner cost is $3,068/month once property tax (0.80%), maintenance, insurance, and service charges are added. On our 10-year model, buying breaks even around year 5, inside the classic 5–7 year rule.
The price-to-rent ratio tells the structural story: Dublin's ratio of 17 sits in the contested middle where personal factors (horizon, stability, rates) decide. A renter who invests the $668/month difference plus the $95,200 down payment at 7% builds $251,348 over 10 years versus the buyer's $325,453.
Rent vs buy calculator · 2026
Verdict at your horizon
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- Mortgage P&I
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- Owner all-in /mo
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- Cash needed upfront
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- PMI
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- Buyer net worth
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- Renter net worth
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- Interest paid by then
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- Price-to-rent ratio
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Net worth year by year
Renter invests the down payment + closing costs + monthly difference at your chosen return. PMI of 0.55%/yr is added automatically while the down payment is under 20% and equity is below 20%. Price-to-rent under ~15 usually favors buying; over ~20 favors renting.
Key insights
Key insights
- Typical buy $476,000 vs rent $2,400/mo – price-to-rent ratio 17.
- All-in owner cost: $3,068/mo vs $2,400 rent.
- 10-year outcome: buyer $325,453 vs renter $251,348.
- Breakeven: ~year 5 at 3.9%.
- Income check: owner cost wants ≥ $9,298/mo net income.
| Year | Buyer net worth | Renter net worth (invested) | Buying advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $84,197 | $122,209 | -$38,012 |
| 3 | $131,301 | $148,598 | -$17,297 |
| 5 | $181,900 | $176,270 | +$5,630 |
| 7 | $236,256 | $205,268 | +$30,988 |
| 10 | $325,453 | $251,348 | +$74,105 |
The Dublin numbers under the model
Inputs (2026, adjustable in the calculator): purchase $476,000, 20% down, 3.9% 30-year fixed, rent $2,400/month growing 3%/year, home appreciation 3.5%/year, market return 7%/year, 0.80% property tax, 1% maintenance, ~7% selling costs at exit. The buyer's wealth lives in equity (principal + appreciation minus exit costs); the renter's lives in the invested down payment and monthly differences compounding.
Early years punish buyers everywhere: at 3.9%, roughly 69% of the first year's payments is pure interest, while ~3% buying costs and ~7% future selling costs must amortise before equity wins. That's why short horizons (under 5 years here) favour renting in Dublin regardless of headlines.
What flips the answer
Rate sensitivity: at 2.4% the breakeven moves years earlier; at 4.9% renting wins even longer. Down-payment opportunity cost matters just as much – if your alternative to buying is cash at 2%, not stocks at 7%, buying improves sharply.
Stability is the unpriced variable: owners are insulated from Dublin's rent growth ($2,400 today is $3,225 in 10 years at 3%) but pay dearly to move early. The honest rule for Dublin: buy when your horizon comfortably exceeds 5 years and the payment fits under 33% of net income – $9,298/month of take-home for this scenario.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to rent or buy in Dublin right now?
On 2026 numbers ($476,000 purchase, $2,400 rent, 3.9% rates), buying breaks even around year 5, inside the classic 5–7 year rule. Horizons shorter than that favour renting; longer ones favour buying – run your own inputs above.
How much do I need to buy in Dublin?
For a typical $476,000 purchase: $95,200 down (20%) plus ~3% closing costs ≈ $109,480 cash, and an all-in carrying cost of $3,068/month – comfortably supported by $9,298+/month of net income.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Dublin?
About 17 ($476,000 ÷ $28,800 annual rent). Above ~22 renting+investing historically wins; below ~16 buying does; between is horizon-dependent.
Does the model include all ownership costs?
Yes: mortgage at 3.9%, 0.80% property tax, 1%/year maintenance, insurance, $120/month service charges, ~3% buying and ~7% selling costs – the lines most "rent is throwing money away" arguments skip.
What if rates fall?
Each 1-point rate drop cuts the payment ~$211/month on this purchase and pulls breakeven earlier. Buying at high rates with a refinance option has asymmetric upside – but never underwrite the purchase on the refi you might get.
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