Money & Finance · Free tool

Lease vs Buy Calculator

Compare total cost of leasing a car vs financing one over the same term. Includes fees, down payment, residual value, and mileage penalties.

Updated April 2026

Lease

Monthly payment ($)Term (months)Upfront fee / down ($)Mileage cap (total)Miles driven / yearOver-mileage $/mile

Buy / Finance

Vehicle price ($)Down payment ($)APR (%)Finance term (months)Residual value at lease-end ($)

Lease total over 36 mo

Monthly × term$12,600.00

Upfront$2,000.00

Over-mileage penalty$2,250.00

Total$16,850.00

Buy cost over 36 mo

Estimated monthly$547.85

Down payment$4,000.00

Less residual value-$18,000.00

Net total$5,722.68

Verdict (estimate): Buying is $11,127.32 cheaper over 36 months.

Estimates only. Does not include insurance, taxes, fees, maintenance, opportunity cost on down payment, or depreciation risk. Use for rough comparison.

What it does

Compare total cost of leasing a car vs financing one over the same term. Includes fees, down payment, residual value, and mileage penalties.

Runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no account, no watermark. For more tools in this category see the full tools index.

How to use it

Fill in the inputs or drop your file.
Click the primary button to run.
Copy or download the result.