The rents are crazy still much more to rent than to pay a mortgage with owning a property.
That ratio has changed through the years... I have been following that during the last 10-15 years and it looks like, at this moment, it is like you said... Lower monthly payments for mortgage than for renting... Waiting for that crypto bull run to buy something and finally get out of this renting craziness!
It's no wonder why there are many rich people in RE.
Oh, man... The owners of RE agencies here have at least 5-10 personal properties... Commissions are crazy high! Not just for buying, but also for renting...