Home · true cost of ownership

The price you’re quoted is not the price you pay.

Enter what the builder quoted and the charges on your cost sheet. We add the state duties, taxes and hidden fees most people never see coming.

One surprise down. Two to go — owning, then selling.

The property
Builder’s extra charges
Your own costs
The loan
The reveal
The sticker price
₹50,00,000
₹64,60,000
what it actually costs, all-in
+29% over the sticker
Cash before you get the keys
₹24,60,000
Down payment · the price the bank didn’t lend₹10,00,000
+Charges & fees · the loan covers none of these₹14,60,000
Where the money goes
Builder's price₹50,00,000
Parking₹3,00,000
Stamp duty₹3,18,000
Registration₹30,000
Mortgage stamp (MODT)₹12,000
Interiors & furnishing₹8,00,000
All-in cost₹64,60,000
TDS ₹53,000 is withheld from the seller (1%, resident sellers under Section 194-IA) — a compliance step, not an extra cost to you. NRI sellers face different, usually higher, withholding under Section 195 — not modelled here.
Stamp duty + registration (₹3,48,000) are deductible under 80C — old regime only.
Maharashtra rates verified 2026-07 · igrmaharashtra.gov.in · always confirm with your sub-registrar.

Understanding the True Cost of Buying a Home in India

Every home buyer in India knows the builder’s quoted price — it’s the number on the brochure, the rate per square foot, the figure you repeat to family. But that number is where the cost begins, not where it ends. Between government duties, taxes, builder premiums and years of loan interest, what you actually pay is routinely 25–30% higher to acquire, and can be more than double by the time you’ve owned the home through a full loan tenure.

This calculator exists to close that gap — to turn the price you’re quoted into the price you actually pay, with every rupee accounted for and nothing hidden.

From sticker to reality: the acquisition charges

The moment you move from the brochure price to a real purchase, the additions begin. Stamp duty (typically 5–7% of value) and registration (0.5–4%) are state government charges you cannot avoid. If the property is under construction, GST applies — 5% for regular homes, 1% for affordable housing up to ₹45 lakh; ready-to-move flats with a completion certificate attract none. Then come the builder’s own line items: preferred-location (PLC), floor-rise, parking, clubhouse, advance maintenance and a corpus or sinking fund. Add your own costs — interiors, brokerage and legal fees — and a ₹50 lakh sticker commonly settles around ₹63–65 lakh all-in.

The cost of owning: why interest can double the price

Acquisition is only the beginning of the truth. The bigger number is interest. On a 20-year home loan at around 8.5%, total interest paid can approach the loan principal itself. Layer in property tax across the years and the acquisition charges you already paid, and a home that looked like ₹50 lakh “on paper” can cross ₹1 crore in real, all-in cost of ownership. The monthly EMI feels affordable — it’s the twenty-year total that reframes the decision.

What actually happens when you sell

Selling is where many owners discover their “profit” was smaller than it looked. From the sale price you subtract brokerage, any outstanding loan, and long-term capital gains tax — currently 12.5% without indexation if you’ve held for two years or more (sell sooner and the gain is taxed at your income slab). Then there’s inflation: rupees received years from now simply buy less. And there’s the quiet comparison that stings most — the same money invested steadily in a diversified index fund would often have grown faster. A home gives you a place to live and a forced savings habit; as a pure investment, it frequently finishes behind.

Stamp duty & registration by state (2026)

Headline duty and registration rates for the states this calculator covers. Rates depend on property value, location and buyer gender in several states — women buyers often receive a 1–2% concession.

StateStamp dutyRegistrationOfficial source
Maharashtra6% Mumbai / 7% Pune-Thane-Nagpur / 5% women1%, cap ₹30kigrmaharashtra.gov.in
Karnataka2–5% by value + BBMP cess2%kaveri.karnataka.gov.in
Delhi6% M / 4% F / 5% joint + 1% transfer1%revenue.delhi.gov.in
Uttar Pradesh7% M / 6% F / 6.5% joint1%igrsup.gov.in
HaryanaUrban 7/5/6% · Rural 5/3/4% (M/F/joint)1%, cap ₹50kjamabandi.nic.in
Telangana4% + 1.5% transfer duty0.5%registration.telangana.gov.in
Tamil Nadu7%4%tnreginet.gov.in

Figures verified July 2026 against the official state portals above and used as the default rates in this calculator. Some municipal surcharges and mutation/MODT fees vary locally and may not be fully captured — always confirm the exact payable amount with your sub-registrar before you transact.

How to shrink your true cost

A few levers genuinely move the number. Choosing a ready-to-move home avoids GST entirely. Registering in a woman’s name earns a stamp-duty concession in many states. Prepaying early in the loan attacks interest when it’s heaviest. And under the old tax regime, stamp duty and registration are deductible under Section 80C (within the ₹1.5 lakh limit) in the year you pay them. The single most valuable habit, though, is simply asking the builder for the full cost sheet — every charge, itemised — before you commit to anything.

Home Loan & Property Cost FAQs

The questions Indian buyers actually ask before they sign

The price isn’t the price. Pass it on.

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₹50,00,000₹64,60,000
+29% over stickercash to keys ₹24,60,000