Travel Budget Calculator
Enter travellers, days and planned spending: the calculator adds up every item, adds a buffer and shows your trip budget in total, per person and per day. If you like, it converts the total into the local currency at an exchange rate you enter.
How it is calculated
How to calculate your travel budget
The calculator adds five items and then a buffer:
How to calculate a travel budget
- Enter the number of travellers, days and nights.
- Add the cost of getting there and back and choose whether it is per person or for the whole group.
- Fill in accommodation per night, food per person per day, activities and other costs, then set a buffer.
- Read the total budget, per person and per day – optionally converted with your own exchange rate.
- Travel – per person × travellers, or once for the group.
- Accommodation = price per night × nights.
- Food and drink = amount per person per day × travellers × days.
- Activities = amount per person × travellers.
- Other – once for the whole group.
Trip budget = sum of items + buffer. Per person, per day and per person per day are the total divided by travellers, days or both, rounded to the cent.
Example: 2 people, 7 days
Travel 180 per person = 360, accommodation 95 × 6 nights = 570, food 35 × 2 × 7 = 490, activities 80 × 2 = 160, other 60. That is 1,640, plus a 10 % buffer (164) gives 1,804 – 902 per person, 257.71 per day and 128.86 per person per day. The calculator works in any currency; amounts are shown without a symbol.
Why days and nights are separate
You eat every day, but pay for accommodation per night. A week from Saturday to Saturday has 8 calendar days but 7 nights. Both values are free to set, so overnight flights, sleeper trains or nights with friends are counted correctly.
Budget in a foreign currency
For trips abroad you can enter a currency code and a rate (1 unit of your currency = x foreign currency). The calculator deliberately does not load rates: what counts is the rate your bank or card charges, including fees. The European Central Bank’s reference rates give an indication, but the ECB itself states they are published for information purposes only and not meant for transactions.
How big should the buffer be?
There is no fixed rule. The default 10 % is a planning assumption for small surprises such as taxis, a pharmacy visit or higher prices on site. For long-haul trips or volatile exchange rates, many people choose a larger buffer.
For trip planning: estimate driving costs with the gas cost calculator, check local time with the time zone meeting planner and split the bill with the tip calculator and bill splitter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of a trip?
Add travel, accommodation (price per night × nights), food (per person per day × people × days), activities and other costs, then add a buffer. The calculator does this and also shows the cost per person per day.
How much money do I need per day on holiday?
It depends on the destination and your travel style. The “per person per day” result shows what your plan means per head and day – 128.86 in the example, including travel and accommodation.
Does the calculator use live exchange rates?
No. You enter the rate yourself, for example your bank’s rate. That keeps the calculation transparent and it works without fetching any data.
What goes under “other costs”?
Anything not charged per person or per day: travel insurance, visa, tourist tax, souvenirs, tips, baggage fees or a shared rental car.
Can I share my plan?
Yes. “Share” creates a link with your inputs that fellow travellers can open and adjust.
Sources and legal basis
As of:
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