They sometimes release the numbers on which is better at the time, but the difference is that ´buying is for a length of time and I reckon that most of the time, it is better to own. So, over the space of a few decades, it is on average better, plus at the end of that period, there is held value. Renting is rarely the way to go, unless it can be offset as a tax write-off, like for a business.