Cash on Cash Return Calculator
Use this free cash on cash return calculator to see the real return on the cash you put into a rental property. Enter the price, down payment, loan terms and operating costs, and get your annual cash-on-cash return and monthly cash flow.
Unlike the cap rate, cash-on-cash includes your mortgage — so it shows what leverage actually does to your return. See the money flow from gross rent down to what lands in your pocket. No account, no sign-up, no spreadsheet.
▶ Upfront cash & operating costs
Estimates are for illustration and education only — not investment advice. Cash-on-cash is a first-year snapshot and doesn't include appreciation, principal paydown, or taxes.
How cash-on-cash works
Cash-on-cash return is your annual pre-tax cash flow divided by the actual cash you put into the deal. Unlike the cap rate, it includes your mortgage — so it captures the effect of leverage on the return to your own money.
Cash-on-cash scenarios
Different down payments and deals. Load any one into the calculator and adjust from there.
How to use the cash-on-cash calculator
Four short steps. Change any field and the return, cash flow and breakdown update instantly.
Enter price and down payment
The purchase price and how much you're putting down. These set your loan and most of your cash invested.
Set the loan terms
Mortgage rate and term determine your payment — the expense that separates cash-on-cash from the cap rate.
Enter rent and costs
The rent, plus vacancy and operating costs, give you NOI. Add closing costs and any upfront repairs.
Read the return
See the cash-on-cash return, monthly cash flow, and the waterfall from gross rent down to what you keep.
What cash-on-cash tells you
Cash-on-cash return is the metric investors use to judge a financed rental. It measures the annual cash flow you actually receive against the cash you actually spent to buy — so it answers the practical question: what is my money earning right now?
Why it differs from the cap rate
The cap rate measures the property unlevered — as if you paid all cash. Cash-on-cash adds your mortgage, so it reflects leverage. A modest cap rate can become a strong cash-on-cash return with the right loan — or a negative one if the payment eats the whole NOI.
Leverage cuts both ways
Putting less down means less cash invested, which can boost the percentage return — but it also means a bigger loan, higher payments, and thinner cash flow. Slide the down payment up and down to see the trade-off between return on paper and safety in reality.
What it leaves out
Cash-on-cash is a first-year cash snapshot. It ignores appreciation, the principal you pay down each month (which builds equity), and tax effects like depreciation. A low cash-on-cash deal can still be a good long-term investment once those are counted — use the rental property ROI calculator for the fuller picture.
Who it's for
Rental investors comparing financed deals and testing how much to put down. You only need the price, financing and rent to start.
Compare the unlevered return with the cap rate calculator, or browse all our free tools.