Most "rent vs buy" calculators flatter the owner. This one counts stamp duty, society fees, opportunity cost on the down payment, and the gap between your EMI and the rent you'd pay. Then it tells you who's actually ahead.
Both paths assume the same monthly outflow. If your EMI + maintenance exceeds rent, the buyer is "spending" more cash each month than the renter — so the renter gets to invest that surplus into equity. We compound the down payment + the monthly surplus at your equity-return assumption. The buyer's wealth is the house value at year Y minus the loan still owed.
The "rent is throwing money away" line forgets two things: stamp duty is also throwing money away, and so is the difference between your EMI and the rent. The renter who invests that gap consistently can out-build the buyer over 10–15 years — especially in cities where the price-to-rent ratio is high.
None of this captures the emotional value of owning a home you can paint without permission. That's real. Just don't confuse it with the math.
