Free calculator · West Bengal
Buy vs Rent Calculator (West Bengal)
Compare buying a home, with West Bengal stamp duty, registration fee and EMIs, against renting and investing the money you save. Every assumption is yours to change.
Quick answer: Buying beats renting only after the home's value gain and lower rent outgo cover the stamp duty (5% to 7%), the 1% registration fee, loan interest and upkeep. The break-even year depends mostly on your assumed price growth and investment return.
| At the end of year 15 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Down payment | ₹12,00,000 |
| Stamp duty (6%) + registration fee (1%) | ₹4,20,000 |
| Loan amount | ₹48,00,000 |
| Monthly EMI | ₹41,656 |
| Total paid to buy and own (incl. upfront) | ₹1,00,24,292 |
| Home value | ₹1,24,73,569 |
| Loan still owed | ₹20,30,339 |
| Net cost of buying | −₹4,18,938 |
| Total rent paid | ₹46,60,970 |
| Renter's investment gains | ₹73,16,904 |
| Net cost of renting | −₹26,55,934 |
Year-by-year comparison
| Year | Rent paid | EMI + upkeep | Home value | Loan left | Net cost, buy | Net cost, rent | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹2,16,000 | ₹5,41,866 | ₹63,00,000 | ₹47,04,469 | ₹5,66,335 | ₹72,445 | Rent |
| 2 | ₹2,26,800 | ₹5,43,966 | ₹66,15,000 | ₹46,00,494 | ₹6,91,326 | ₹1,18,509 | Rent |
| 3 | ₹2,38,140 | ₹5,46,171 | ₹69,45,750 | ₹44,87,328 | ₹7,93,582 | ₹1,36,472 | Rent |
| 4 | ₹2,50,047 | ₹5,48,486 | ₹72,93,038 | ₹43,64,160 | ₹8,71,613 | ₹1,24,496 | Rent |
| 5 | ₹2,62,549 | ₹5,50,917 | ₹76,57,689 | ₹42,30,105 | ₹9,23,823 | ₹80,617 | Rent |
| 6 | ₹2,75,677 | ₹5,53,470 | ₹80,40,574 | ₹40,84,200 | ₹9,48,504 | ₹2,735 | Rent |
| 7 | ₹2,89,461 | ₹5,56,150 | ₹84,42,603 | ₹39,25,399 | ₹9,43,824 | −₹1,11,397 | Rent |
| 8 | ₹3,03,934 | ₹5,58,964 | ₹88,64,733 | ₹37,52,561 | ₹9,07,821 | −₹2,64,178 | Rent |
| 9 | ₹3,19,130 | ₹5,61,919 | ₹93,07,969 | ₹35,64,446 | ₹8,38,388 | −₹4,58,179 | Rent |
| 10 | ₹3,35,087 | ₹5,65,022 | ₹97,73,368 | ₹33,59,703 | ₹7,33,269 | −₹6,96,146 | Rent |
| 11 | ₹3,51,841 | ₹5,68,280 | ₹1,02,62,036 | ₹31,36,863 | ₹5,90,040 | −₹9,81,020 | Rent |
| 12 | ₹3,69,433 | ₹5,71,700 | ₹1,07,75,138 | ₹28,94,326 | ₹4,06,102 | −₹13,15,947 | Rent |
| 13 | ₹3,87,905 | ₹5,75,292 | ₹1,13,13,895 | ₹26,30,351 | ₹1,78,662 | −₹17,04,295 | Rent |
| 14 | ₹4,07,300 | ₹5,79,063 | ₹1,18,79,590 | ₹23,43,043 | −₹95,278 | −₹21,49,671 | Rent |
| 15 | ₹4,27,665 | ₹5,83,023 | ₹1,24,73,569 | ₹20,30,339 | −₹4,18,938 | −₹26,55,934 | Rent |
This is a what-if model, not advice. It depends entirely on the assumptions above, especially price growth and investment return. Change them to see how the answer moves.
The numbers filled in are examples, not forecasts or BPI data. Replace them with the real price, rent, loan offer and your own view of growth and returns. Find property tax and maintenance on your bill or ask the society.
How it is calculated
- Loan and EMI: loan = price × (1 − down payment %). EMI = L × i × (1 + i)n ÷ ((1 + i)n − 1), where i is the yearly rate ÷ 12 ÷ 100 and n is the number of months. This is the same reducing-balance formula as our home loan EMI calculator.
- Buying costs: stamp duty plus the 1% registration fee on the price, at the West Bengal rates in the table below.
- Each month: the buyer pays EMI + maintenance + property tax ÷ 12; the renter pays rent. Rent, maintenance and tax rise once a year by the rates you set. Whoever pays less that month invests the difference, so both spend the same cash.
- Investments grow every month at (1 + yearly return)1/12. The renter starts by investing the down payment and the buying costs.
- Home value after k years = price × (1 + growth)k.
- Net cost of buying = down payment + buying costs + EMIs + maintenance + tax − (home value − loan still owed) − gains on any savings the buyer invested.
- Net cost of renting = rent paid − gains on the renter's investments.
- Break-even year = the first year the net cost of buying is at or below the net cost of renting.
West Bengal buying costs used
| Area | Up to ₹1 crore | Above ₹1 crore |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty, corporation / municipal | 6% | 7% |
| Stamp duty, panchayat (rural) | 5% | 6% |
| Registration fee (all areas) | 1% | 1% |
Source: Directorate of Registration and Stamp Revenue, West Bengal (wbregistration.gov.in), rates as last checked on 14 October 2026. There is no lower rate for women. Duty is charged on the higher of the agreement value and the government market value; this calculator uses the price you enter.
Worked example
A ₹60 lakh flat in a municipal area, 20% down, 8.5% loan for 20 years, ₹18,000 rent rising 5% a year, 5% price growth, 8% investment return, ₹3,000 maintenance and ₹6,000 tax a year rising 5%:
- Down payment ₹12,00,000; stamp duty 6% ₹3,60,000 and registration fee ₹60,000; so ₹16,20,000 up front.
- Loan ₹48,00,000; EMI ₹41,656 a month.
- In year 1 the buyer spends ₹41,656 + ₹3,000 + ₹500 = ₹45,156 a month against ₹18,000 rent, so the renter invests ₹27,156 a month on top of the ₹16,20,000.
- Run the calculator above to see the net costs and the year-by-year table.
What this leaves out
Income tax on investment gains, home loan tax deductions, brokerage and costs when you sell, the rent deposit, loan processing fees, GST on under-construction flats, repairs and furnishing. It also cannot price the security of owning or the flexibility of renting. Treat the result as one view of the money, not a recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to buy or rent a flat in Kolkata?
It depends on the price, the rent, how long you stay and what you assume about price growth and investment returns. Buying usually needs many years to recover the stamp duty, registration fee and early interest. Use the calculator with your own numbers; no single answer fits everyone.
What is the break-even year?
The first year in which the net cost of buying falls to or below the net cost of renting. Before that year, renting and investing the difference comes out cheaper on your assumptions.
Which buying costs are included?
West Bengal stamp duty (6%, or 7% above ₹1 crore, in corporation and municipal areas; 5%, or 6% above ₹1 crore, in panchayat areas) and the 1% registration fee, charged here on the price. If the government market value is higher, duty is charged on that, so check with the stamp duty calculator.
What does the calculator leave out?
Income tax on investment returns, home loan tax deductions, brokerage and costs when you sell, the rent deposit, loan processing fees, GST on under-construction flats, repairs and furnishing. Add a margin for these.
Why does the renter invest money?
To compare fairly, both sides spend the same cash. The renter does not pay the down payment and buying costs, so that money is invested. In any month owning costs more than renting, the renter invests the difference; when rent costs more, the buyer invests the difference.
Rates and conventions last checked: .