Car Leasing vs Buying Calculator Singapore: Cost and Exit Cash

Use comparable cars, mileage and access over the same period. Enter a lease quote that covers that period, including renewal or early-exit costs where relevant. For buying, the strongest inputs are the lender's instalment and settlement quote for your planned sale date.

Defaults are a hypothetical three-year example, not current market quotes. The model does not check loan eligibility or value time, accident liability, investment returns, or service reliability.

Comparison period

Years of car access

Use whole months expressed in years, such as 1.5 for 18 months. Reprice the contract and sale/settlement inputs when changing the period.

Lease quote

Monthly rental fee (S$) Nonrefundable setup fees (S$) Security deposit tied up (S$) Return / termination charges, including deposit deductions (S$)

The deposit is assumed returned at exit before deducting these charges. Include a forfeiture in the charge line once.

Insurance included? Road tax included? Maintenance and repairs budget included? Extra lease costs each month (S$)

Use extras for mileage fees, exclusions or backup travel. Put one-time exit costs in return / termination charges.

Buying and financing

Purchase price including taxes (S$) Gross sale proceeds at exit (S$) Downpayment (%) Loan term in years Financing inputs

Quoted monthly instalment (S$) Quoted loan settlement at the planned exit (S$)

Include early-redemption charges in settlement. If the loan ends before exit, enter zero settlement. For a cash purchase, use 100% downpayment and zero instalment and settlement.

Buying / finance fees not already in price or settlement (S$) Extra buying-route costs each month (S$)

Running costs

Buying includes all the lines below. Leasing includes insurance, tax and maintenance here only when marked excluded from its quote. Parking, fuel and other shared costs apply to both; use route extras for any difference.

Annual insurance (S$) Annual road tax (S$) Annual maintenance and repairs (S$) Monthly parking (S$) Annual distance (km) Fuel efficiency (km/L) Fuel price (S$/L) Other shared monthly costs, such as ERP (S$)

For electric cars, set fuel price to zero and enter charging cost in other shared monthly costs, adjusting route extras if the energy costs differ.

Cost over the comparison period

Lease total

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Buy total

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Cost component	Lease	Buy

Cash needed and recovered

These are timing views of the same costs. Add a first rental/instalment if payable at collection to the initial cash requirement shown here.

Cash view	Lease	Buy
Initial cash: deposit or downpayment + fees	—	—
Monthly cash while loan / rental is active	—	—
Exit cash after loan / charges; negative = cash owed	—	—
Net cash spent through exit	—	—

Worked example

The defaults cover 36 months. Buying loses S$55,000 of vehicle value and has S$10,040 of financing cost: S$36,000 downpayment + 36 × S$1,640 instalments + S$35,000 settlement − S$120,000 purchase. Add S$500 fees and S$24,150 running costs to reach S$89,690.00. Leasing costs 36 × S$1,800 + S$300 setup + S$600 return charges + S$15,450 running costs = S$81,150.00. Leasing is S$8,540.00 lower in this example. Its monthly rental break-even is S$2,037.22 with the other inputs fixed.

The S$3,000 lease deposit affects initial liquidity; return of the deposit offsets it at exit. Buying returns S$30,000 after the assumed settlement. If sale proceeds fall to S$25,000 while settlement stays S$35,000, buying requires S$10,000 additional cash at exit, and its total rises to S$129,690.00.

FAQ

Can I enter an advertised flat rate in the reducing-balance estimate?

No. Use the quoted monthly instalment and settlement amount for a flat-rate hire-purchase offer. A reducing-balance estimate does not reproduce its early-settlement rules.

Is a refundable lease deposit an expense?

It is cash tied up, not a net expense if returned in full. Enter any expected deduction once in return or termination charges.

What if the sale proceeds are below the loan settlement?

The exit-cash figure is negative and shows the additional cash needed. The cost calculation keeps that shortfall.

Continue with the leasing contract decision guide or subscription commitment comparison before treating a lower modelled cost as a complete decision.

References

Last updated: 2 Oct 2026 · Editorial Policy · Advertising Disclosure