Calculator
Lease or buy?
What the same car really costs you on renting, bought outright or financed: with insurance, garage, taxes and what you get when you sell. And from how many km or years each one pays off.
The car
Renting
If you buy it
It works out cheaper
Buy outright
260 € a month on average
Over 4 years you save 3.436 € compared with buy on finance (332 €/month).
12.499 € over 4 years
15.935 € over 4 years
18.480 € over 4 years
- Renting payments
- What the car loses
- Loan interest
- Insurance
- Maintenance
- Tyres
- Road tax and ITV
See the breakdown
| Over 4 years | Buy outright | Buy on finance | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renting payments | — | — | 18.480 € |
| What the car loses | 7.477 € | 7.477 € | — |
| Loan interest | — | 3.436 € | — |
| Insurance | 2.800 € | 2.800 € | — |
| Maintenance | 1.440 € | 1.440 € | — |
| Tyres | 600 € | 600 € | — |
| Road tax and ITV | 182 € | 182 € | — |
| Total | 12.499 € | 15.935 € | 18.480 € |
When is renting worth it?
Compared with buying outright
- If the payment drops below 260 €/month (yours: 385 €).
- With your payment, by km: never, whether you drive 5,000 to 60,000 km a year.
- By years: never, whether you keep it 2 to 6 years.
Compared with buying on finance
- If the payment drops below 331 €/month (yours: 385 €).
- With your payment, by km: never, whether you drive 5,000 to 60,000 km a year.
- By years: never, whether you keep it 2 to 6 years.
If you drive more km than the payment includes, you pay for the extra; if you drive fewer, you get nothing back. If you keep it for more years, the renting payment changes.
What we've counted
- Selling it after 4 years with 60.000 km, you'd get around 17.523 €. How we calculate it
- Loan of 20.000 € over 48 months at 8%: 488 €/month and 3.436 € in interest.
- If you buy, you pay over 4 years: insurance 2.800 €, maintenance 1.440 €, tyres 600 € and road tax and ITV 182 €.
- We don't count fuel, which is the same in all three cases, or what the money would earn if you didn't spend it on the car.
How we calculate it
We compare the same things in all three cases
Buy
What you pay for the car minus what you get when you sell it at the end (using our market depreciation curve), plus the costs that renting includes: insurance, maintenance, tyres, road tax and ITV, calculated the same way as on the rest of the site. If you finance it, we add the interest.
Renting
All the monthly payments, the extra km if you drive more than included, and anything not covered by the payment, which you pay separately. If you don't have a quote, we use a typical payment for that price, term and km, taken from real 2025 offers.
What we don't include
Fuel, because you spend the same in all three cases. We also leave out what the down payment or cash would earn if you invested it, and any damage charges when you hand back the renting car.
Sources
- Barómetro Renting Coches.com/Ganvam 2025Average payment on renting offers by car size, term and km per year (€472/month on average).
- Barómetro VN Coches.com/Ganvam 2025Average price of a new car by segment, to go from the average payment to the car's price.
- OCUA renting customer's complaint: €711.43 for 16,000 extra km (€0.044 per km).
By default: a 20 % down payment and 8% interest if you finance it, and €0,05 per extra km. Change them to match your offers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What's cheaper: renting or buying the car?+
If you can pay cash and keep it for many years, buying almost always wins. Renting costs more overall, but with no down payment, a fixed payment and no worrying about insurance or the garage. Compared with buying on finance, the difference is smaller and depends on the payment, km and years: that's why it's worth doing the sums.
How much does a car lease (renting) cost per month?+
The average of 2025 offers was €472 a month (Coches.com and Ganvam barometer). For a €30,000 car, all inclusive, over 4 years and 15,000 km a year, it usually comes to around 425 € a month. It goes up with the car's price and km, and down the longer the contract.
What does the renting payment include?+
Usually fully comprehensive insurance, maintenance and repairs, tyres, road tax, ITV and breakdown cover. It doesn't include fuel, fines or tolls. Check how many tyres are included and whether the insurance has an excess.
What happens if I drive more km than agreed?+
You pay for each extra km, usually between 3 and 8 cents. If you drive less, many contracts give you nothing back or refund less than they charge. Set the km per year to what you really drive.
Is the car mine when the renting contract ends?+
No. You hand it back and can start another renting with a new car. Some companies let you keep it by paying its final value. When you return it they can charge you for dents or damage beyond normal use.