To get an accurate comparison you should probably just include the mortgage interest at 4 or 5% (closer to long-term mortgage rates, and similar to the income y

To get an accurate comparison you should probably just include the mortgage interest at 4 or 5% (closer to long-term mortgage rates, and similar to the income you would get from equities), and also include property tax, maintenance, etc. The principal can be thought of as building up equity, similar to a renter putting their spare cash in the stock market. When you run the numbers for places like Vancouver and Toronto it's probably cheaper renting, small towns in the prairies the opposite might be true. We're paying $1250/month to rent a nice $200k townhouse on Vancouver Island, so the numbers are similar either way when you factor in property tax, water, etc., and we don't have to worry about maintenance.