Travel Budget Calculator
Plan a trip budget: flights, accommodation, food, transport, activities, and a buffer. Returns per-person and group totals.
What this calculates
Travel budgets blow up from underestimating the small daily costs more often than the big-ticket items. This calculator lets you set the major categories — flights, lodging, food, ground transport, activities — plus a safety buffer for unexpected expenses, and shows totals per person and per day.
Formula & how it works
Total = flights + (lodging_per_night × nights) + (food_per_day × days × people) + (transport_per_day × days × people) + activities + buffer. Per person = total ÷ people. Per day = total ÷ days. A 10–15 % buffer covers most surprises; international trips with currency exchange add 2–5 % to that.
Worked example
Two people, 7-day Italy trip. Flights $1,800 ($900 each). Hotel $180/night × 7 = $1,260. Food $60/person/day × 2 × 7 = $840. Local transport $25/day × 2 × 7 = $350. Activities $400. Buffer 15 % = total before buffer = $4,650 → buffer $700 → $5,350 total → $2,675 per person → $765/day.
Frequently asked questions
What does most people forget?
Airport transfers (taxis, parking), tips and service charges, travel insurance, vaccines and medications, departure taxes, baggage fees, SIM cards or roaming, and ATM withdrawal fees. The 10–15 % buffer absorbs most of these.
How do I estimate food costs?
Quick rule: $40–60/day in cheaper countries (SE Asia, eastern Europe), $60–100/day in mid-cost destinations (most of western Europe, US small cities), $100–150/day in expensive cities (NYC, London, Tokyo, Geneva), and self-catering knocks ~30 % off everywhere.
Are flights the biggest variable?
Often yes — and the most controllable. Booking 6–8 weeks ahead for domestic and 2–4 months ahead for international tends to be cheapest. Tuesday/Wednesday departures are usually a bit cheaper than weekends.
Should I budget per person or per couple?
Per person is more comparable across trips. Hotels and rental cars often have fixed costs that get cheaper per-person when shared, while food and activities scale linearly with people. Use this calculator's per-person output for honest comparisons.