Travel Budget Calculator
What a trip will cost in total, per day and per person, with a buffer for surprises.
Good to know. The flights are the number you book. The daily spending is the number that decides the trip.
How it works
In plain words
Add the travel there and back, lodging for every night, and the daily spending for every day (food and activities for each person, local transport for the group). Then add the buffer on top.
The formula
subtotal = travel + lodging × nights + ((food + activities) × people + local) × days total = subtotal × (1 + buffer)
Worked example
A week for two: 1,200 of flights, 6 nights at 150 (900) and 180 a day of spending (1,260) make 3,360. With a 10% buffer the trip costs 3,696.00: 528 a day, or 1,848 each.
Sources
No outside data or rates: this is plain arithmetic.
3 automated tests check its answers on every change.
About the travel budget calculator
A travel budget has a few big fixed costs, getting there and the place to stay, and a lot of small daily ones. This calculator adds both, so the total reflects how long you stay and how many of you go.
Daily spending is where trips go over budget. Food, drinks, tickets, tours and taxis add up quietly, and they scale with the number of days and travellers. Estimate them from the destination: a city break in a capital costs more per day than a beach week with a kitchen.
The buffer covers what nobody plans for: a missed connection, a pharmacy visit, the restaurant everyone insists on. 10% is a sensible minimum; 15–20% suits a first visit to a new country or a long trip.
Lodging is entered per night, and a week usually has one fewer night than days. Travel there and back is entered for the whole group. Remember the costs before you leave, too: insurance, visas, vaccinations and pet care. For daily spending abroad, the currency converter turns your budget into the local money.
Questions people ask
How much should I budget for a trip per day?
Add food, activities and local transport for a day at your destination; this calculator multiplies them by the days and travellers. Travel and lodging come on top.
How much of a buffer should I add?
At least 10%, and 15–20% for a long trip or a country you don’t know.
Why are there fewer nights than days?
A 7-day trip that starts and ends with a travel day usually has 6 nights. Change it if your flights are overnight.