Start with the renewal offer, not last year’s rent
A $100 rent increase can feel like a reason to leave. But the useful comparison is the renewed home against the actual alternative, including the cost of getting there. Enter each option’s expected monthly total on the same basis: rent, required recurring fees, parking, utilities and, if relevant, transport. Do not put transport in one option and omit it from the other.
Use a comparison period that matches your plans. A 12-month comparison assumes each monthly amount stays the same for 12 months. If either lease ends sooner or a concession expires, use an appropriate average or compare a shorter period. This tool does not forecast the next renewal.
Formula and methodology
Renewing cost = renewed monthly cost × months + one-time renewal costs.
Moving cost = new monthly cost × months + nonrefundable moving costs.
Savings from moving = renewing cost − moving cost.
If moving costs more upfront but less per month, break-even months equal the extra one-time cost divided by the monthly saving. The result is a straight-line estimate, not a schedule of rent due dates. At the break-even point the modeled costs are equal; moving becomes cheaper after it.
When monthly savings are zero or negative, there is no ordinary payback period. If moving starts cheaper but has higher monthly costs, we show when that initial advantage runs out instead. If both upfront and monthly costs match, the costs stay equal.
Cost and cash answer different questions
Moving cash = nonrefundable moving costs + refundable deposits + first-month housing cash. A refundable deposit ties up money but is not assumed to be spent. First-month rent is already in the monthly cost comparison, even if it is due before the move. Adding it to the comparison again would count the same month twice.
Include only extra old-home rent caused by overlap in one-time moving costs. Normal rent already counted in the chosen monthly horizon should not be entered again. If you expect to lose part of a deposit, put that expected loss in nonrefundable costs; keep only the amount you expect back in the refundable field.
Worked example: a $300 monthly saving
Suppose renewing costs $2,100 a month, the new home costs $1,800 a month, and moving costs $2,700 with no renewal fee. Across 12 months, renewing costs $25,200 and moving costs $24,300. Moving saves $900. The $2,700 expense takes 9 months of $300 savings to recover.
If the new refundable deposit is $1,800 and first-month housing cash is $1,800, you need $6,300 for the entered move-in cash items. The $900 cost saving does not mean you can move with $900. These figures are illustrative, not market estimates.
If the new place instead costs $100 more each month but saves $600 in one-time costs, the early advantage runs out at 6 months. A simple “moving is cheaper upfront” conclusion would miss that reversal.
Gather better inputs before deciding
Use the renewal letter and new-home fee schedule for recurring costs. Check recent bills for utilities and other variable spending. The CFPB’s spending review guidance recommends checking actual spending records and less frequent expenses when building a budget.
For a U.S. interstate move, use a written estimate that describes the services and items included. FMCSA explains moving estimates, including why a non-binding estimate does not guarantee the final charge. This calculator does not determine charges or rights under a lease or moving contract.
What the estimate leaves out
No market rent, legal fee, tax deduction, inflation, interest on deposits, future rent increase or deposit-return date is assumed. The model also cannot price your time, moving disruption, safety, accessibility or neighborhood preferences. Costs are entered in USD with at most two decimal places; each amount is capped at $1 billion and the period at 120 whole months. Arithmetic uses integer cents; break-even time is displayed to two decimal places.
Original formula v1.0.0. Sources and method reviewed October 4, 2026. The linked agencies do not endorse this tool.