This is is an unofficial support site for people planning to move to Denmark. This site is in no way affiliated with the country of Denmark or its official authorities.

Buy or Lease?

Calculate the true Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for a car in Denmark.

Basic Assumptions

mo.
km

Buying

kr.
%
70.000 kr.
%
mo.
%
%
Running Costs (Buy)
kr.
kr.

Leasing

kr.
kr.
Running Costs (Leasing)
kr.

It is cheapest to LEASE

Over 36 months you save approx. 39.513 kr. total cost.

Monthly Real Cost (TCO)
6.926 kr.Buy
Monthly Real Cost (TCO)
5.829 kr.Lease

Detailed Comparison

BUY kr.LEASE kr.
One-time Costs
Down Payment70.000 kr.14.995 kr.
Liquidity (Cash Flow)
Monthly Fee/Buying5.122 kr.5.360 kr.
The Hidden Numbers (Total Economy)
Depreciation (est.)160.344 kr.0 kr.
Interest Cost34.316 kr.0 kr.
Total Lease Fees0 kr.169.020 kr.
Opportunity Cost2.000 kr.1.000 kr.
TOTAL COST (TCO)249.340 kr.209.827 kr.
Equity at sale: 17,810 kr.(Paid out to you)

Methodology & Calculation Logic

This tool compares the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for both options. TCO represents the true economic cost, not just the monthly cash flow.

Formula

TCO = Depreciation + Financing Costs (Interest) + One-time Costs (Fees) + Running Costs (Tax, Insurance, Service) + Opportunity Cost.

How Buying is Calculated

For buying, the largest cost is usually depreciation (value loss). We calculate the estimated resale value based on the depreciation percentages you set. We also calculate the loan interest paid over the period and the 'Opportunity Cost' (the return you lost by tying up cash in the down payment instead of investing it).

How Leasing is Calculated

For leasing, the cost is the sum of the down payment and all monthly lease fees. We also include opportunity cost on the leasing down payment. Note that service/maintenance is often included in the lease price, which you can adjust in the settings.

The Breakeven Point

The breakeven point on the graph shows when buying becomes cheaper than leasing. Buying often has high upfront costs (high depreciation in year 1), but becomes cheaper over time as depreciation slows down, whereas leasing costs remain constant.

Breakeven Analysis (Cumulative TCO)

This chart shows the Total Cost accumulated over time. The dot marks the breakeven point.