Rent vs Buy Calculator — Chennai (2026)
Home-buying economics for Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with Tamil Nadu’s real stamp duty and registration costs. Buying to rent out? See the Chennai investment calculator.
Where to buy in Chennai? Best areas, prices & what to expect · ₹6K–₹16K/sq ftSee details
Chennai pairs a deep manufacturing base with a growing IT sector, and its housing demand follows both. The OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) IT corridor runs around ₹12,000–13,000/sq ft, Velachery about ₹10,500–11,500, and premium Adyar ₹14,500–15,500. Tamil Nadu also has India’s heaviest statutory cost — 7% stamp duty plus 4% registration, 11% in total — so transaction costs are an unusually large part of the buy decision here.
Typical on-market price
₹6K–₹16K / sq ft
Notable localities
- OMR (IT Corridor) — Chennai’s fastest-growing IT belt; ~₹12,000–13,000/sq ft.
- Velachery — Well-connected mid-market hub; ~₹10,500–11,500/sq ft.
- Adyar — Premium, leafy neighbourhood near the coast; ~₹14,500–15,500/sq ft.
- Porur — Growing western junction near the IT and hospital clusters.
- Pallavaram — Affordable southern suburb near the airport.
Chennai rent vs buy calculator
Key outputs
Buying this ₹1,20,00,000 home in Chennai means an EMI of ₹72,897 paid from your pocket and ₹50,40,000 upfront. If you sell, selling turns net-positive around year 8. See the verdict below to compare with renting and investing that cash instead.
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30-year projection
Rent vs Buy — what leaves you richer?
If you don’t buy, you keep your ₹50,40,000 of upfront cash to invest and pay rent instead. Here’s the cash each path leaves you with — buying means selling the home minus the EMIs you paid; renting means your invested cash minus the rent you paid.
| After 10 yrs | After 20 yrs | After 30 yrs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy → sell the home | |||
| Net sale proceeds | ₹1,59,61,414 | ₹4,29,64,347 | ₹8,45,17,374 |
| − Total EMI paid | −₹87,47,658 | −₹1,74,95,316 | −₹1,74,95,316 |
| = Final cash | ₹72,13,756 | ₹2,54,69,031 | ₹6,70,22,057 |
| Rent → invest the ₹50,40,000 + pay rent | |||
| Total rent paid | ₹48,29,911 | ₹1,26,97,326 | ₹2,55,12,517 |
| Stock market @ 10.0% → value | ₹1,30,72,462 | ₹3,39,06,600 | ₹8,79,44,987 |
| = Final cash (− rent) | ₹82,42,551 | ₹2,12,09,273 | ₹6,24,32,470 |
| Fixed deposit @ 7.0% → value | ₹99,14,443 | ₹1,95,03,210 | ₹3,83,65,765 |
| = Final cash (− rent) | ₹50,84,532 | ₹68,05,883 | ₹1,28,53,248 |
| P2P lending @ 12.0% → value | ₹1,56,53,475 | ₹4,86,17,317 | ₹15,09,98,007 |
| = Final cash (− rent) | ₹1,08,23,564 | ₹3,59,19,991 | ₹12,54,85,490 |
| Verdict | Renting + P2P wins | Renting + P2P wins | Renting + P2P wins |
Buy “final cash” is the sale proceeds minus every EMI you paid; rent “final cash” is the invested cash minus every rent payment — so both count their housing cost. The property’s net gain (final cash − upfront) matches “Net gain if sold” in the projection below.
Illustrative only, not financial advice. Investment rows assume the upfront cash is a one-time lump sum compounding at the rate you enter. Returns are assumptions and are not guaranteed.
Full year-by-year projection
| Year | Property value | Annual EMI | Outstanding loan | Home equity | Cumulative EMI paid | Net gain if sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹1,20,00,000 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹82,32,821 | ₹8,74,766 | ||
| 2 | ₹1,28,40,000 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹80,50,864 | ₹17,49,532 | ||
| 3 | ₹1,37,38,800 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹78,52,825 | ₹26,24,297 | ||
| 4 | ₹1,47,00,516 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹76,37,280 | ₹34,99,063 | ||
| 5 | ₹1,57,29,552 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹74,02,683 | ₹43,73,829 | ||
| 6 | ₹1,68,30,621 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹71,47,350 | ₹52,48,595 | ||
| 7 | ₹1,80,08,764 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹68,69,448 | ₹61,23,361 | ||
| 8 | ₹1,92,69,378 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹65,66,982 | ₹69,98,127 | ||
| 9 | ₹2,06,18,234 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹62,37,781 | ₹78,72,892 | ||
| 10 | ₹2,20,61,511 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹58,79,481 | ₹87,47,658 | ||
| 11 | ₹2,36,05,816 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹54,89,511 | ₹96,22,424 | ||
| 12 | ₹2,52,58,223 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹50,65,071 | ₹1,04,97,190 | ||
| 13 | ₹2,70,26,299 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹46,03,114 | ₹1,13,71,956 | ||
| 14 | ₹2,89,18,140 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹41,00,325 | ₹1,22,46,721 | ||
| 15 | ₹3,09,42,410 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹35,53,093 | ₹1,31,21,487 | ||
| 16 | ₹3,31,08,378 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹29,57,492 | ₹1,39,96,253 | ||
| 17 | ₹3,54,25,965 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹23,09,244 | ₹1,48,71,019 | ||
| 18 | ₹3,79,05,783 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹16,03,697 | ₹1,57,45,785 | ||
| 19 | ₹4,05,59,187 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹8,35,787 | ₹1,66,20,551 | ||
| 20 | ₹4,33,98,330 | ₹8,74,764 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 21 | ₹4,64,36,214 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 22 | ₹4,96,86,748 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 23 | ₹5,31,64,821 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 24 | ₹5,68,86,358 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 25 | ₹6,08,68,403 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 26 | ₹6,51,29,192 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 27 | ₹6,96,88,235 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 28 | ₹7,45,66,412 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 29 | ₹7,97,86,060 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 | ||
| 30 | ₹8,53,71,085 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹1,74,95,316 |
Chennai home-buying FAQs
What is the stamp duty rate in Chennai?
Stamp duty in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) is 7.0% of the property value, the same regardless of the buyer’s gender. On the example price of ₹1,20,00,000 that works out to ₹8,40,000.
What is the property registration charge in Tamil Nadu?
Registration charge in Tamil Nadu is 4.0% of the property value with no upper cap. On the example price of ₹1,20,00,000 that is ₹4,80,000.
When does buying break even if you sell in Chennai?
Buying a ₹1,20,00,000 home in Chennai (30% down at 8.5% over 20 years) turns net-positive on sale around year 8 — that is when the sale proceeds finally cover your upfront cash and the EMIs paid. By year 10 the modelled net gain is about ₹21,73,756.
How much upfront cash do I need to buy a ₹1.20 Cr home in Chennai?
To buy a ₹1,20,00,000 home in Chennai you need roughly ₹50,40,000 upfront: a 30% down payment of ₹36,00,000 plus ₹14,40,000 of transaction costs (stamp duty ₹8,40,000, registration ₹4,80,000, brokerage ₹1,20,000).
Do women get a stamp duty concession in Tamil Nadu?
No. Tamil Nadu offers no reduced stamp duty for women buyers — the 7.0% slab applies regardless of who the property is registered to.
Why are transaction costs so high when buying in Chennai?
Tamil Nadu levies 7% stamp duty plus a 4% registration charge — a combined 11% of property value, the highest among major Indian states. On a ₹1.2 crore Chennai home that is roughly ₹13 lakh in statutory charges alone, so the break-even horizon for buying versus renting is longer here than in most cities.
Which Chennai areas are best for IT professionals?
The OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) corridor is the primary IT belt, with the deepest rental demand and new supply, followed by Pallikaranai and Sholinganallur along the same axis. Velachery offers a more central, established alternative with good connectivity to both the IT corridor and the city core.
Chennai at a glance
Based on an example ₹1,20,00,000 home at 30% down, 8.5% over 20 years. Change any input in the calculator to see your own numbers.
| Example property price | ₹1,20,00,000 |
|---|---|
| Down payment (30%) | ₹36,00,000 |
| Loan amount | ₹84,00,000 |
| Monthly EMI | ₹72,897 |
| Stamp duty (7.0%) | ₹8,40,000 |
| Registration | ₹4,80,000 |
| Brokerage | ₹1,20,000 |
| All-in transaction cost (12.0%) | ₹14,40,000 |
| Upfront cash needed | ₹50,40,000 |
| Rent if you rented instead | ₹32,000 / mo |
| Net gain if sold (10 yr) | ₹21,73,756 |
| Break-even on sale | Year 8 |