THE BIG UAE PROPERTY QUESTION

Should you rent
or buy your home?

We model both paths year by year — mortgage, fees and appreciation on one side, rent and invested savings on the other — and show you exactly when buying overtakes renting.

Live break-even year

UAE fees built in

No sign-up needed

HOW WE COMPARE

If you buy

Deposit, mortgage, fees & upkeep — building equity as prices grow.

If you rent

Pay rent, then invest the deposit + monthly savings in stocks, bonds, funds or gold.

The winner is whoever ends up with the bigger net position after your chosen number of years.

HOW IT WORKS

From question to clear answer

A decision tool built around how the maths actually plays out over time in the UAE market.

Set the scenario

Enter the home you’d buy, the rent you’d pay instead, and how long you plan to stay put.

We model both paths

Mortgage, UAE fees, upkeep and appreciation versus rent and the savings a renter invests — month by month.

See the verdict

A clear winner, the dirham difference, and the exact year buying overtakes renting on our live chart.

RENT VS BUY CALCULATOR

Run your own numbers

Adjust the sliders to match your situation. The verdict, chart and breakdown update instantly.

The home you’d buy

Property price2,000,000

Down payment20%

That’s 400,000 upfront · loan of 1,600,000

Mortgage rate (p.a.)4.25%

Mortgage term25 yrs

Upfront buying costs7%

DLD 4% + agency + admin ≈ 140,000 · monthly mortgage 8,668

Total cash upfront

Deposit 400,000 + costs 140,000

540,000

The rent you’d pay instead

Rent (annual)95,000

Annual rent increase5%

Your assumptions

How long you’ll stay7 yrs

Home price growth (p.a.)3%

Yearly ownership costs

1.5%

Service charge + maintenance + insurance, as a share of home value.

Investment return (p.a.)6%

What a renter earns by investing the deposit and monthly savings — e.g. in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or gold.

Invested at 6% p.a., your upfront buying cost of 540,000 alone would grow to 811,960 in 7 years.

OVER 7 YEARSBUYING WINS

Buying comes out ahead

You’d be better off by

51,745

Break-even at year 6

Your net position over time

Buy Rent

“Net position” = the cash you’d walk away with if you exited in that year — home equity after a sale, versus the renter’s investment portfolio.

Home value · yr 7

2.46M

Equity if you sell

1.1M

Total rent paid

773K

Renter’s portfolio

1.05M

IT COMES DOWN TO ONE CHOICE

Two ways to live in this home for 7 years

BUY IT

Put 540,000 down, then pay about 11,168/mo for your mortgage + upkeep — and own a home worth 2.46M.

RENT & INVEST

Invest that 540,000 elsewhere and pay about 7,917/mo in rent — and grow your money to 1.05M.

After 7 years, buying leaves you 51,745 better off.

SIDE BY SIDEafter 7 years

If you buy

OWNER

Down payment + costs−540,000

Mortgage paid728,096

— of which interest435,088

Ownership costs233,018

Home value at sale2,459,748

Less remaining loan−1,306,992

Net position1,103,561

If you rent

RENTER

Owner’s housing cost you avoid961,114

Rent you pay instead (7 yrs)−773,491

Surplus you invest187,623

Deposit + costs kept invested540,000

Investment growth at 6%324,193

727,623 invested at 6% p.a. for 7 years grows to 1,051,816

Portfolio value1,051,816

This is an indicative comparison, not financial advice. It assumes the renter invests every dirham they save versus buying. Real outcomes depend on actual rates, rent rises, property prices and market returns — always confirm figures with your bank.

READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?

See if you qualify, then apply in minutes

Compare offers from 38 UAE banks — checking your eligibility has no impact on your credit score.

Check your eligibility Apply for home loan

All your UAE financial choices on one powerful platform.

Need help?

@[email protected]800 FINANCE

PARTNERS · FOR REALTORS

Earn commission on every mortgage lead you refer.

Realtors, brokers and agents — partner with us.

Become a Partner →

Finance Market is a brand of Hamilton International Mortgage Consultant, licensed by the Government of Dubai, Department of Economy and Tourism — Professional Licence No. 748683 (Financing Broker & Mortgage Consultant). Office 201, Al Masaood Building, 54 Al Maktoum Road, Riggat Al Buteen, Deira, Dubai, UAE — P.O. Box 12875. By using financemarket.ae you agree to be bound by our Terms & Conditions, Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy. All third-party trademarks, service marks, trade names and logos — including those of banks, financial institutions and other companies displayed on this website — are the property of their respective owners. They are used for identification purposes only, and their display does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement, sponsorship or approval by, the respective owners; Finance Market claims no ownership of any third-party marks. © 2026 Hamilton International Mortgage Consultant. All rights reserved.

About Us Careers Legal Privacy Terms Cookies Disclaimers

EIBOR LIVE

1 Week4.35%▲0.021 Month4.41%▼0.013 Months4.45%▲0.036 Months4.51%▼0.021 Year4.58%▲0.04

·38+ Partner Banks

عربي BOOK A CALL800 FINANCE

THE BIG UAE PROPERTY QUESTION

Should you rent
or buy your home?

We model both paths year by year — mortgage, fees and appreciation on one side, rent and invested savings on the other — and show you exactly when buying overtakes renting.

Live break-even year

UAE fees built in

No sign-up needed

Compare rent vs buy

HOW WE COMPARE

If you buy

Deposit, mortgage, fees & upkeep — building equity as prices grow.

If you rent

Pay rent, then invest the deposit + monthly savings in stocks, bonds, funds or gold.

The winner is whoever ends up with the bigger net position after your chosen number of years.

RENT VS BUY CALCULATOR

Run your own numbers

Adjust the home, the rent and your assumptions — we recompute both paths live and call the winner.

The home you’d buy

Property price2,000,000

Down payment20%

That’s 400,000 upfront · loan of 1,600,000

Mortgage rate (p.a.)4.25%

Mortgage term25 yrs

Upfront buying costs7%

DLD 4% + agency + admin ≈ 140,000 · monthly mortgage 8,668

Total cash upfront

Deposit 400,000 + buying costs 140,000

540,000

The rent you’d pay instead

Rent (annual)95,000

Annual rent increase5%

Your assumptions

How long you’ll stay7 yrs

Home price growth (p.a.)3%

Yearly ownership costs

1.5%

Service charge + maintenance + insurance, as a share of home value.

Investment return (p.a.)6%

What a renter earns by investing the deposit and monthly savings — e.g. in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or gold.

Invested at 6% p.a., your upfront buying cost of 540,000 alone would grow to 811,960 in 7 years.

OVER 7 YEARSBUYING WINS

Buying comes out ahead

You’d be better off by

51,745

Break-even at year 6

Your net position over time

Buy Rent

“Net position” = the cash you’d walk away with if you exited in that year — home equity after a sale, versus the renter’s investment portfolio.

Home value · yr 7

2.46M

Equity if you sell

1.1M

Total rent paid

773K

Renter’s portfolio

1.05M

IT COMES DOWN TO ONE CHOICE

Two ways to live in this home for 7 years

BUY IT

Put 540,000 down, then pay about 11,168/mo for your mortgage + upkeep — and own a home worth 2.46M.

RENT & INVEST

Invest that 540,000 elsewhere and pay about 7,917/mo in rent — and grow your money to 1.05M.

After 7 years, buying leaves you 51,745 better off — that’s what you’d save over 7 years.

SIDE BY SIDEafter 7 years

If you buy

OWNER

Down payment + costs−540,000

Mortgage paid728,096

— of which interest435,088

Ownership costs233,018

Home value at sale2,459,748

Less remaining loan−1,306,992

Net position1,103,561

If you rent

RENTER

Owner’s housing cost you avoid961,114

Rent you pay instead (7 yrs)−773,491

Surplus you invest187,623

Deposit + costs kept invested540,000

Investment growth at 6%324,193

727,623 invested at 6% p.a. for 7 years grows to 1,051,816

Portfolio value1,051,816

READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?

See if you qualify, then apply in minutes

Compare offers from 38 UAE banks — checking your eligibility has no impact on your credit score.

Check your eligibility Apply for home loan

HOW IT WORKS

From question to clear answer

A decision tool built around how the maths actually plays out over time in the UAE market.

Set the scenario

Enter the home you’d buy, the rent you’d pay instead, and how long you plan to stay put.

We model both paths

Mortgage, UAE fees, upkeep and appreciation versus rent and the savings a renter invests — month by month.

See the verdict

A clear winner, the dirham difference, and the exact year buying overtakes renting on our live chart.

Loading…

THE BIG UAE PROPERTY QUESTION

Should you rent
or buy your home?

We model both paths year by year — mortgage, fees and appreciation on one side, rent and invested savings on the other — and show you exactly when buying overtakes renting.

Live break-even year

UAE fees built in

No sign-up needed

HOW WE COMPARE

If you buy

Deposit, mortgage, fees & upkeep — building equity as prices grow.

If you rent

Pay rent, then invest the deposit + monthly savings in stocks, bonds, funds or gold.

The winner is whoever ends up with the bigger net position after your chosen number of years.

HOW IT WORKS

From question to clear answer

A decision tool built around how the maths actually plays out over time in the UAE market.

Set the scenario

Enter the home you’d buy, the rent you’d pay instead, and how long you plan to stay put.

We model both paths

Mortgage, UAE fees, upkeep and appreciation versus rent and the savings a renter invests — month by month.

See the verdict

A clear winner, the dirham difference, and the exact year buying overtakes renting on our live chart.

RENT VS BUY CALCULATOR

Run your own numbers

Adjust the sliders to match your situation. The verdict, chart and breakdown update instantly.

The home you’d buy

Property price2,000,000

Down payment20%

That’s 400,000 upfront · loan of 1,600,000

Mortgage rate (p.a.)4.25%

Mortgage term25 yrs

Upfront buying costs7%

DLD 4% + agency + admin ≈ 140,000 · monthly mortgage 8,668

Total cash upfront

Deposit 400,000 + costs 140,000

540,000

The rent you’d pay instead

Rent (annual)95,000

Annual rent increase5%

Your assumptions

How long you’ll stay7 yrs

Home price growth (p.a.)3%

Yearly ownership costs

1.5%

Service charge + maintenance + insurance, as a share of home value.

Investment return (p.a.)6%

What a renter earns by investing the deposit and monthly savings — e.g. in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or gold.

Invested at 6% p.a., your upfront buying cost of 540,000 alone would grow to 811,960 in 7 years.

OVER 7 YEARSBUYING WINS

Buying comes out ahead

You’d be better off by

51,745

Break-even at year 6

Your net position over time

Buy Rent

“Net position” = the cash you’d walk away with if you exited in that year — home equity after a sale, versus the renter’s investment portfolio.

Home value · yr 7

2.46M

Equity if you sell

1.1M

Total rent paid

773K

Renter’s portfolio

1.05M

IT COMES DOWN TO ONE CHOICE

Two ways to live in this home for 7 years

BUY IT

Put 540,000 down, then pay about 11,168/mo for your mortgage + upkeep — and own a home worth 2.46M.

RENT & INVEST

Invest that 540,000 elsewhere and pay about 7,917/mo in rent — and grow your money to 1.05M.

After 7 years, buying leaves you 51,745 better off.

SIDE BY SIDEafter 7 years

If you buy

OWNER

Down payment + costs−540,000

Mortgage paid728,096

— of which interest435,088

Ownership costs233,018

Home value at sale2,459,748

Less remaining loan−1,306,992

Net position1,103,561

If you rent

RENTER

Owner’s housing cost you avoid961,114

Rent you pay instead (7 yrs)−773,491

Surplus you invest187,623

Deposit + costs kept invested540,000

Investment growth at 6%324,193

727,623 invested at 6% p.a. for 7 years grows to 1,051,816

Portfolio value1,051,816

READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?

See if you qualify, then apply in minutes

Compare offers from 38 UAE banks — checking your eligibility has no impact on your credit score.

Check your eligibility Apply for home loan

All your UAE financial choices on one powerful platform.

Need help?

@[email protected]800 FINANCE

PARTNERS · FOR REALTORS

Earn commission on every mortgage lead you refer.

Realtors, brokers and agents — partner with us.

Become a Partner →

About Us Careers Legal Privacy Terms Cookies Disclaimers

EIBOR LIVE

1 Week4.35%▲0.021 Month4.41%▼0.013 Months4.45%▲0.036 Months4.51%▼0.021 Year4.58%▲0.04

·38+ Partner Banks

عربي BOOK A CALL800 FINANCE

THE BIG UAE PROPERTY QUESTION

Should you rent
or buy your home?

We model both paths year by year — mortgage, fees and appreciation on one side, rent and invested savings on the other — and show you exactly when buying overtakes renting.

Live break-even year

UAE fees built in

No sign-up needed

Compare rent vs buy

HOW WE COMPARE

If you buy

Deposit, mortgage, fees & upkeep — building equity as prices grow.

If you rent

Pay rent, then invest the deposit + monthly savings in stocks, bonds, funds or gold.

The winner is whoever ends up with the bigger net position after your chosen number of years.

RENT VS BUY CALCULATOR

Run your own numbers

Adjust the home, the rent and your assumptions — we recompute both paths live and call the winner.

The home you’d buy

Property price2,000,000

Down payment20%

That’s 400,000 upfront · loan of 1,600,000

Mortgage rate (p.a.)4.25%

Mortgage term25 yrs

Upfront buying costs7%

DLD 4% + agency + admin ≈ 140,000 · monthly mortgage 8,668

Total cash upfront

Deposit 400,000 + buying costs 140,000

540,000

The rent you’d pay instead

Rent (annual)95,000

Annual rent increase5%

Your assumptions

How long you’ll stay7 yrs

Home price growth (p.a.)3%

Yearly ownership costs

1.5%

Service charge + maintenance + insurance, as a share of home value.

Investment return (p.a.)6%

What a renter earns by investing the deposit and monthly savings — e.g. in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or gold.

Invested at 6% p.a., your upfront buying cost of 540,000 alone would grow to 811,960 in 7 years.

OVER 7 YEARSBUYING WINS

Buying comes out ahead

You’d be better off by

51,745

Break-even at year 6

Your net position over time

Buy Rent

“Net position” = the cash you’d walk away with if you exited in that year — home equity after a sale, versus the renter’s investment portfolio.

Home value · yr 7

2.46M

Equity if you sell

1.1M

Total rent paid

773K

Renter’s portfolio

1.05M

IT COMES DOWN TO ONE CHOICE

Two ways to live in this home for 7 years

BUY IT

Put 540,000 down, then pay about 11,168/mo for your mortgage + upkeep — and own a home worth 2.46M.

RENT & INVEST

Invest that 540,000 elsewhere and pay about 7,917/mo in rent — and grow your money to 1.05M.

After 7 years, buying leaves you 51,745 better off — that’s what you’d save over 7 years.

SIDE BY SIDEafter 7 years

If you buy

OWNER

Down payment + costs−540,000

Mortgage paid728,096

— of which interest435,088

Ownership costs233,018

Home value at sale2,459,748

Less remaining loan−1,306,992

Net position1,103,561

If you rent

RENTER

Owner’s housing cost you avoid961,114

Rent you pay instead (7 yrs)−773,491

Surplus you invest187,623

Deposit + costs kept invested540,000

Investment growth at 6%324,193

727,623 invested at 6% p.a. for 7 years grows to 1,051,816

Portfolio value1,051,816

READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?

See if you qualify, then apply in minutes

Compare offers from 38 UAE banks — checking your eligibility has no impact on your credit score.

Check your eligibility Apply for home loan

HOW IT WORKS

From question to clear answer

A decision tool built around how the maths actually plays out over time in the UAE market.

Set the scenario

Enter the home you’d buy, the rent you’d pay instead, and how long you plan to stay put.

We model both paths

Mortgage, UAE fees, upkeep and appreciation versus rent and the savings a renter invests — month by month.

See the verdict

A clear winner, the dirham difference, and the exact year buying overtakes renting on our live chart.

Should you rentor buy your home?

From question to clear answer

Run your own numbers

Should you rentor buy your home?

Run your own numbers

From question to clear answer

Should you rentor buy your home?

From question to clear answer

Run your own numbers

Should you rentor buy your home?

Run your own numbers

From question to clear answer

Should you rent
or buy your home?

Should you rent
or buy your home?

Should you rent
or buy your home?

Should you rent
or buy your home?