New vs Used Laptop Calculator: Which Costs Less Per Year?

New or used: the yearly cost decides

On the defaults — a $1,500.00 new laptop over 5 years, a $700.00 used laptop over 3 years, and $150.00 of expected repairs — the new cost is $300.00 a year ($1,500.00 ÷ 5), the used cost is $283.33 a year (($700.00 + $150.00) ÷ 3), the gap is −$16.67, and used wins by $16.67 a year.

Five things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the new cost per year is the new laptop price divided by the years you expect it to last — $1,500.00 ÷ 5 = $300.00. Second, the used cost per year is the used price plus expected repairs divided by the years you expect it to last — ($700.00 + $150.00) ÷ 3 = $283.33. Third, the gap is the used yearly cost minus the new yearly cost — $283.33 − $300.00 = −$16.67 — and a negative gap means used wins. Fourth, the winner is decided from the rounded gap, and a gap of exactly $0.00 is a tie. And fifth, the sticker price misleads — the $700.00 used laptop looks like half the $1,500.00 new one, but the yearly comparison is the honest one; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

This calculator is part of the X vs Y comparisons library — the same compare-both-sides format as the lease vs buy laptop and buy new vs used car calculators.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: $1,500.00 new laptop, 5 years, $700.00 used laptop, 3 years, $150.00 of expected repairs.

Line 1 — the new side. The new cost per year is $1,500.00 ÷ 5 = $300.00.

Line 2 — the used side. The used cost per year is ($700.00 + $150.00) ÷ 3 = $283.33.

Line 3 — the gap. The gap is $283.33 − $300.00 = −$16.67 — negative, so used wins by $16.67 a year.

Line 4 — the sticker check. The used laptop’s sticker is $700.00 against the new one’s $1,500.00 — but the yearly comparison is $283.33 against $300.00, a gap of only $16.67 a year.

Every branch, checked

Used price $500.00: New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $500.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $216.67/year, gap -$83.33 (USED wins by $83.33/year) — A cheaper used laptop wins by more — $216.67 a year against the new one's $300.00.

Repairs $600.00: New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $600.00: new $300.00/year, used $433.33/year, gap $133.33 (NEW wins by $133.33/year) — Repairs flip the answer — $600.00 of repairs makes the used laptop $433.33 a year, and new wins by $133.33.

New lifespan 3 years: New $1,500.00, 3 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $500.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap -$216.67 (USED wins by $216.67/year) — A new laptop that only lasts 3 years costs $500.00 a year — used wins by $216.67.

Used lifespan 5 years: New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 5 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $170.00/year, gap -$130.00 (USED wins by $130.00/year) — A used laptop that lasts 5 years costs only $170.00 a year — used wins by $130.00.

New price $1,000.00: New $1,000.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $200.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap $83.33 (NEW wins by $83.33/year) — A cheaper new laptop wins — $200.00 a year against the used one's $283.33.

Used $900.00, repairs $300.00, 2 years: New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $900.00, 2 years, repairs $300.00: new $300.00/year, used $600.00/year, gap $300.00 (NEW wins by $300.00/year) — An expensive used laptop that dies fast is the worst deal — $600.00 a year, and new wins by $300.00.

The reverses, worked backwards

Used price for an exact tie: $750.00 — the exact used price is 750.0000. At $750.00 the used cost is $300.00 a year and the gap is $0.00 — an exact tie. $749.99 and $750.01 both give $300.00 a year after rounding. The star is DOLLARS.

Repairs for an exact tie: $200.00 — the exact repairs are 200.0000. At $200.00 the used cost is $300.00 a year and the gap is $0.00 — an exact tie. $199.99 and $200.01 both give $300.00 a year after rounding. The star is DOLLARS.

New price for an exact tie: $1,416.67 — the exact new price is 1416.6667. At the displayed $1,416.67 the new cost is $283.33 a year and the gap is $0.00 — a tie after rounding. $1,416.66 also gives $283.33 a year after rounding. The star is DOLLARS.

Used remaining lifespan where the winner flips: 2 years is the longest used lifespan where new still wins (used $425.00 a year, NEW by $125.00); 3 years is the shortest used lifespan where used wins (used $283.33 a year, USED by $16.67). The flip happens between 2 and 3 years — 1 year gives a used cost of $850.00 a year (NEW by $550.00). The star is YEARS.

New price for NEW to win by exactly $50.00/year: $1,166.67 — the exact new price is 1166.6667. At the displayed $1,166.67 the new cost is $233.33 a year and the gap is $50.00 — NEW wins by $50.00. $1,166.66 also gives $233.33 a year after rounding. The star is DOLLARS.

Used price for USED to win by exactly $100.00/year: $450.00 — the exact used price is 450.0000. At $450.00 the used cost is $200.00 a year and the gap is −$100.00 — USED wins by exactly $100.00. $449.99 and $450.01 both give $200.00 a year after rounding. The star is DOLLARS.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a $1,500.00 new laptop over 5 years, a $700.00 used laptop over 3 years, and $150.00 of expected repairs — new cost $300.00 a year, used cost $283.33 a year, used wins by $16.67 a year. With a used price of $500.00, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $500.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $216.67/year, gap -$83.33 (USED wins by $83.33/year) — used wins by $83.33 a year. With $600.00 of repairs, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $600.00: new $300.00/year, used $433.33/year, gap $133.33 (NEW wins by $133.33/year) — new wins by $133.33 a year. With a new lifespan of 3 years, New $1,500.00, 3 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $500.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap -$216.67 (USED wins by $216.67/year) — used wins by $216.67 a year. With a used lifespan of 5 years, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 5 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $170.00/year, gap -$130.00 (USED wins by $130.00/year) — used wins by $130.00 a year. With a new price of $1,000.00, New $1,000.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $200.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap $83.33 (NEW wins by $83.33/year) — new wins by $83.33 a year. With used $900.00, repairs $300.00, and 2 years, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $900.00, 2 years, repairs $300.00: new $300.00/year, used $600.00/year, gap $300.00 (NEW wins by $300.00/year) — new wins by $300.00 a year. With a free used laptop, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $0.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $50.00/year, gap -$250.00 (USED wins by $250.00/year) — used wins by $250.00 a year. With $0.00 of repairs, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $0.00: new $300.00/year, used $233.33/year, gap -$66.67 (USED wins by $66.67/year) — used wins by $66.67 a year. With a free new laptop, New $0.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $0.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap $283.33 (NEW wins by $283.33/year) — new wins by $283.33 a year. With a used lifespan of 1 year, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $700.00, 1 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $850.00/year, gap $550.00 (NEW wins by $550.00/year) — new wins by $550.00 a year. With a new lifespan of 10 years, New $1,500.00, 10 years, used $700.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $150.00/year, used $283.33/year, gap $133.33 (NEW wins by $133.33/year) — new wins by $133.33 a year. With a used price of $1,500.00, New $1,500.00, 5 years, used $1,500.00, 3 years, repairs $150.00: new $300.00/year, used $550.00/year, gap $250.00 (NEW wins by $250.00/year) — new wins by $250.00 a year.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The shopper eyeing a $700 used laptop: they learn it costs $283.33 a year against a new one’s $300.00 — and they check the $750.00 reverse to see the used price that would tie the two exactly.
• The shopper worried about repairs: they learn $600.00 of repairs flips the answer to new by $133.33 a year — and they check the $200.00 reverse to see the repairs that would tie the two.
• The shopper who keeps laptops for years: they learn a used laptop that lasts 5 years costs only $170.00 a year — and they check the 2-year reverse to see the used lifespan where the winner flips.
• The shopper comparing new prices: they learn a $1,000.00 new laptop wins by $83.33 a year — and they check the $1,166.67 reverse to see the new price where new wins by exactly $50.00 a year.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is first-principles: each yearly cost is the price (plus repairs, for used) divided by the lifespan, rounded to cents half-up, and the gap is the used yearly cost minus the new yearly cost from the rounded costs. The winner is decided from the rounded gap; a rounded gap of exactly $0.00 is a tie. What the model cannot do is price YOUR laptop’s remaining life: it ignores performance (a used laptop may be slower or have a weaker battery), warranty (new usually includes one; used usually does not), software/subscription costs (the same either way), and resale value at the end (a new laptop keeps more of its value — that favours new and is NOT in these numbers); the repair figure is your best guess, not a quote; and the lifespan is your guess too — a used laptop’s remaining life is the most uncertain input. Use it to find the used lifespan where the winner flips — then check real used listings and repair prices before you decide.

Frequently asked questions