Repair or Replace Calculator
Should you fix what you have, or buy new? This calculator compares the full cost of repairing your existing item against replacing it -- including ongoing maintenance, financing interest and resale value -- so you can see which option actually costs less over time, and when the other one catches up. Every calculation runs in your browser -- nothing you enter is ever sent anywhere.
Repair Details
Current item value is what you could get by selling or trading in the existing item today -- it's credited against the cost of replacing, not repairing, since you'd only give it up if you replace it. Expected additional repairs covers extra fixes you anticipate over its remaining life beyond this immediate repair.
Replacement Details
Expected resale value is what you estimate the replacement would be worth at the end of your usage period below.
Financing (Optional) & Usage Period
Leave Amount Financed at 0 if you'd pay for the replacement in cash. Usage period is the number of years you want to compare both options over.
Results
Total Cost to Repair
Per Year
Per Month
Total Cost to Replace
Per Year
Per Month
No financing entered for the replacement.
Repair Cost Breakdown
Replace Cost Breakdown
How to Decide Between Repairing and Replacing
Deciding whether to repair an item or replace it isn't just about the repair bill versus the sticker price of something new. A fair comparison has to look at the total cost of each path over the same stretch of time -- what you'll spend keeping the old item running (repairs plus ongoing maintenance) against what you'll spend owning a replacement (its price, minus anything you recover by selling the old item, plus financing interest if you borrow to buy it, plus its own running costs, minus what it will likely be worth when you eventually sell it too).
Why the Comparison Needs a Fixed Usage Period
Repairs and replacements rarely last the same number of years, so comparing them fairly means picking one usage period and calculating what each option would cost you over exactly that stretch. This calculator lets you set that usage period directly, and warns you if it's longer than the repaired item's expected remaining life -- since in that case you may face another repair or replacement decision again before the period is over.
Why Current Item Value Only Applies to Replacing
The value of your existing item -- what you could sell it for or trade it in for today -- only becomes real money in your pocket if you give the item up, which happens when you replace it, not when you repair it. That's why this calculator credits the current item value against the replacement option's cost, reducing what replacing effectively costs you, while the repair option is judged purely on repair and maintenance spending.
How Financing Interest Affects the Comparison
If you'd need to borrow to afford a replacement, the interest you pay is a genuine extra cost of that option -- money you wouldn't spend if you repaired instead. This calculator lets you optionally enter a financed amount, interest rate and tenure; it adds only the interest portion (never the principal, which is already reflected in the replacement price) to the replace option's total cost, the same convention used across OurPaisa Tools' other loan-aware calculators. Leave the financed amount at zero if you'd pay cash.
Understanding the Break-Even Point
Often one option costs more upfront but less to run every year, or vice versa. The break-even point is roughly how long it takes for the cheaper-per-year option to make up for its higher starting cost -- after that point, sticking with it saves you money; before it, the other option is still ahead. This is a useful way to think about the decision when your usage period is flexible, though the actual point in your life will depend on how precisely your repair, maintenance and resale estimates hold up.
Disclaimer: This tool provides an estimate for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The calculator is an educational planning tool and results are estimates. Actual repair, replacement, maintenance, financing and resale costs vary based on the specific item, market conditions and individual usage. See our Disclaimer and Terms of Use for more detail.