Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Renting Versus Buying: Which Builds More Wealth Over 20 Years?
The example compares buying a ₹1 crore home with renting a similar home for ₹40,000 a month.
The buyer pays a large down payment and then a home-loan EMI for 20 years.
The renter invests the money not used for the EMI.
If the renter invests ₹30,000 every month and earns 12% annually, the investments could grow to about ₹4.90 crore.
If the home grows in value by 8% each year, it could be worth about ₹4.66 crore.
This makes renting look slightly better in the example.
However, rent may increase, and investment returns are not guaranteed.
Buying can still be useful because it provides a stable home and removes rent payments after the loan is repaid.
A buyer purchasing a ₹1 crore home with a ₹20 lakh down payment would pay about ₹66,900 monthly for a ₹80 lakh, 20-year loan at 8%.
Including the down payment, the buyer’s purchase-related outflow would total about ₹1.81 crore before taxes, maintenance and other ownership costs.
At 8% annual property appreciation, the home could be worth approximately ₹4.66 crore after 20 years.
A renter investing ₹30,000 monthly plus the ₹20 lakh down payment at an assumed 12% annual return could accumulate about ₹4.90 crore.
The renter leads by about ₹24 lakh in the base case, but rising rent, lower investment returns and ownership costs could change the result.
- Who
- The comparison involves a homebuyer, a renter, and financial commentator Adhil Shetty of BankBazaar.
- What
- It examines whether buying a ₹1 crore home or renting for ₹40,000 monthly creates more wealth over 20 years.
- When
- The comparison covers a 20-year period.
- Why
- The outcome depends on property appreciation, investment returns, rent increases, financing costs and other ownership expenses.
Renting and Investing
Buying a Home
Potential wealth creation
Renting and Investing
Renting may create more wealth if the renter invests the down payment and monthly savings consistently, earning substantially more than the property’s appreciation rate.
Buying a Home
Buying may create more wealth if property prices appreciate faster or investment returns are lower than assumed.
Flexibility versus stability
Renting and Investing
Renting allows people to move more easily for jobs, family needs or lifestyle changes.
Buying a Home
Buying provides housing stability, control over the property and a home without rent payments after the loan is repaid.
Financial risks and costs
Renting and Investing
The renter keeps the down payment available for investment and may hold more liquid assets, but rising rent and market losses can reduce the advantage.
Buying a Home
The buyer faces a long-term EMI and costs such as registration, maintenance, taxes, repairs and insurance, but is less exposed to future rent increases.
- Home price
- ₹1 crore
- Down payment
- ₹20 lakh
- Home loan
- ₹80 lakh at 8% for 20 years
- Monthly EMI
- Approximately ₹66,900
- Base property value after 20 years
- Approximately ₹4.66 crore at 8% annual appreciation
- Renter’s assumed monthly investment
- ₹30,000
- Renter’s estimated corpus
- Approximately ₹4.90 crore at a 12% annual return
- Base-case difference
- Renter ahead by approximately ₹24 lakh