Housing costs

The biggest line.

Renting against buying

Renting buys flexibility and predictable costs; buying builds equity but adds maintenance, interest and transaction costs that take years to recover.

Count purchase taxes, fees and moving costs, not just the deposit.
A mortgage rate change can move monthly costs sharply at renewal.

Running costs

Insulation, heating type and appliance efficiency change bills for as long as you live there, which is why they are worth more attention than they usually get.