Buy or rent in Belgium? 2026 comparison
Compare the net outlay of buying and renting over your time horizon, including capital repaid. No speculation on capital gains. Free.
Compare, without recommendation, the net outlay of buying and renting over a chosen time horizon, without speculating on the future value of the property.
Your current rental
The property considered
Maintenance, home insurance, property tax, a single estimated amount.
Your horizon and assumptions
Adjustable assumption, not a prediction, defaults to 2.9%/year (historical average of the health index, Statbel 2015-2026). Set to 0% to make no assumption.
Enter your rent, the property considered and your horizon to compare.
A net outlay, not a bet on the future
The "buy or rent" question almost always leads to the same pitfall: betting on the property's future capital gain or on the return your down payment could have earned if invested elsewhere. These are assumptions without a reliable anchor, not calculations. This comparison deliberately sticks to what is measurable: how much you actually pay out in each scenario, and how much capital you build as an owner.
Capital repaid isn't a footnote
Part of every loan payment reduces your debt rather than paying interest, this capital remains yours, unlike rent which never comes back. This is the key difference between a gross outlay and a net cost when buying.
One exception: rent indexation
Unlike capital gains, rent indexation is a legal mechanism with a real official history (health index, Statbel). Ignoring it would systematically bias the comparison in favour of renting, so this comparison includes it as an adjustable assumption, never as a prediction. Discover the full mechanism with our rent indexation tool.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn’t the property’s future capital gain taken into account?
Unlike rent indexation, the future resale value of a property has no reliable historical reference at the individual level, including it would amount to betting on the future rather than calculating. The same applies to an alternative return on your down payment if invested elsewhere: these are bets, not sourceable data.
Why does rent increase in the calculation?
Belgian rents are legally indexed every year to the health index, ignoring this would systematically underestimate the real cost of renting over a long horizon. The rate used is an adjustable assumption based on the historical average (2.9%/year, 2015-2026), not a prediction by the site. Set it to 0% if you prefer to make no assumption.
What is the "capital repaid" shown on the buying side?
This is the portion of your loan payments that reduced your debt (rather than paying interest) over the chosen horizon, equity built, not a lost expense. This is not a capital gain: it is the mechanical decrease of your outstanding balance, independent of the property’s resale value.
Why do I need to enter owner costs myself?
Maintenance, home insurance, property tax: these amounts vary too much depending on the property and region to be recalculated in detail here. Use our property tax tool to refine this figure if needed.
Does the tool say whether I should buy or rent?
No. It displays both net outlays without declaring a winner, the decision also depends on non-quantifiable factors (residential stability, personal plans, risk tolerance) that belong only to you.
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