Buy or rent / Southampton
Buy or rent in Southampton?
A typical home in Southampton costs around £260,000, and renting one costs around £1,150 a month. That's 18.8 years of rent to buy outright. A first-time buyer with a 15% deposit would need £41,150 in cash, including £0 of Stamp Duty. Over 10 years, with the calculator's starting assumptions, buying comes out £29,106 ahead.
These local figures are rough starting points, last updated 16 October 2026. Change them to match the homes you're actually looking at.
£
%
£39,000
£/month
After 10 years
Buying leaves you £29,106 better off
Buying gets ahead of renting in year 3, after selling costs. Renting here assumes you invest whatever buying would have cost you extra.
- Cash needed to buy
- £41,150Deposit £39,000, Stamp Duty £0, fees £2,150
- First month's costs
- £1,961 vs £1,335Buying (mortgage £1,424 plus running costs) vs renting
| Scenario | Better off after 10 yrs | Buying ahead from |
|---|---|---|
| Your assumptions | Buying by £29,106 | Year 3 |
| Mortgage rates 1.5 points higher | Renting by £12,796 | Not within the period |
| House prices don't grow | Renting by £69,989 | Not within the period |
| Rent rises 2.5 points faster | Buying by £53,352 | Year 2 |
| Investments return 2 points less | Buying by £50,421 | Year 2 |