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Rent or Buy an Outfit? Compare the Real Cost
Compare the cost of renting an outfit for several dates with buying it, caring for it and selling it later. Enter the prices you found and the resale cash you assume. The table shows where the costs cross, while a lower resale case makes that assumption visible.
Two routes to the same occasion
Results stay on this device. Starting values are fictional examples. Use one currency for every money amount.
Worked example
| Occasions | Buying net cost | Rental total | Buying with low resale | Rental minus buying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 138 | 60 | 198 | -78 |
| 2 | 146 | 120 | 206 | -26 |
| 3 | 154 | 180 | 214 | 26 |
| 4 | 162 | 240 | 222 | 78 |
How to use it
Replace the example with your values and check units. Results update as you edit. Keep a scenario to compare, then export a file; this tool’s JSON can restore your inputs.
Worked example
A 200 purchase plus 10 delivery, 5 care per wear and 50 resale has a net cost of 180 after four occasions. Four rentals at 50 each cost 200. At three occasions, buying costs 175 and renting 150, so the first whole-occasion crossover is four.
Method and sources
Buying cost equals purchase and delivery, plus care per wear, minus the resale cash you choose. Renting adds the rental, delivery and nonrefundable fees for every occasion. The break-even table uses whole occasions. A refundable deposit is cash tied up, not a cost in the main comparison; damage charges would need to be included as nonrefundable fees.
Sources checked October 28, 2026.
Starting values are a fictional example. The method and limits below describe what is actually calculated.
Who it is for, and limits
A planning comparison for occasionwear, using quotes in one currency. It does not know a rental contract, fit, delivery reliability, resale demand or whether a deposit will be returned. Tax and cleaning must already be in your inputs or added to the appropriate cost. A low resale scenario is an assumption, not a valuation.
Common questions
Is resale value guaranteed?
Resale cash is an amount you enter. Compare a lower value, including zero, if the sale may not happen.
Does the deposit count as a rental cost?
The refundable deposit is shown separately as tied-up cash. Put any nonrefundable protection or damage fee in the rental fee field.
What if the costs never cross?
The per-occasion care and rental costs can have equal or reversed slopes. Read the full table; a missing crossover is not a recommendation.
Where do my inputs go?
They stay on this page. An explicit export keeps data in your chosen file; nothing is saved automatically.
Can I compare and restore a scenario?
Compare keeps up to three scenarios during this session. The JSON download lets you restore a scenario after closing.