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Buy vs lease a photocopier: what will each really cost you?
Prices checked
Short answer
Buying, 4 years
GH₵69,400
GH₵1,446 a month
Leasing, 4 years
GH₵79,200
GH₵1,650 a month
Cheaper option
Buying
saves GH₵9,800
Starting figures are an example, not a quote. The purchase price is the middle of this month's new A3 copier prices in our index. Replace every figure with your own quotes.
A worked example
Take an office printing 5,000 pages a month, comparing over 4 years (48 months). These are example figures, not quotes.
- Buying: GH₵36,000 purchase + GH₵0.10 a page × 5,000 pages × 48 months + GH₵300 servicing × 48 months − GH₵5,000 resale = GH₵69,400.
- Leasing: GH₵1,500 × 48 months + 1,000 extra pages × GH₵0.15 × 48 months = GH₵79,200.
In this example buying is cheaper by GH₵9,800 over 4 years. Change the page volume or the excess rate and the answer can flip, which is why it's worth running your own numbers. Read our full buy vs lease guide for the questions to ask before signing.
Questions people ask
What should I include when comparing buying and leasing a copier?
For buying: the purchase price, toner and parts per page, servicing and the resale value at the end. For leasing: the monthly fee, pages included, the price of each extra page, and any setup or exit fees. Compare both over the same number of years.
Why does the excess page rate matter so much?
If you regularly print more than the pages included in the lease, every extra page is charged at the excess rate. At a few thousand extra pages a month, that can add more than the monthly fee itself.
Is the cheaper option always the right one?
Not always. A lease can be worth paying more for if it guarantees fast repairs and you can't afford downtime, or if you'd rather not tie up cash in equipment.
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