How do I make a travel budget?
- 1Enter the number of travellers, days and (optionally) nights.
- 2Add the room price per night and the number of rooms.
- 3Add daily food per person, local transport for the group, and flights or tickets per person.
- 4Add activities, shopping and a buffer, then read the total, the cost per person and per day, and where the money goes.
How is a trip budget worked out?
- 01Nights = days − 1 (unless you enter them)
- 02Accommodation = price per night × rooms × nights
- 03Food = per person per day × travellers × days · Transport = per day × days
- 04Tickets = per person × travellers
- 05Subtotal = accommodation + food + transport + tickets + activities + other
- 06Buffer = subtotal × buffer % · Total = subtotal + buffer
- 07Per person = total ÷ travellers · Per day = total ÷ days
A trip budget has two kinds of cost: daily costs that grow with the length of the trip (food, local transport, rooms per night) and one-off costs (flights, activities, shopping). The calculator multiplies each by the right number — people, days, nights or rooms — and adds them up.
Rooms are priced per room, not per person, so two people sharing a room halves the accommodation cost each. Food is per person per day because everyone eats every day; local transport is for the whole group, since a taxi costs the same for one or three.
A buffer of 10–15% covers what plans miss: price changes, a missed connection, card fees and exchange-rate moves. It is added on top, so the per-person and per-day figures include it.
How much does a week away for two cost?
2 travellers on a 7-day trip, with one room at 120 a night for 6 nights, 40 each a day for food and return flights of 450 each:
with activities, shopping and a 10% buffer, the trip costs 3,140.5 — 1,570.25 per person, or 224.32 per person per day.
Good to know
- Price flights and rooms first — they are usually the largest part of the budget.
- Sharing a room or renting an apartment for a group cuts accommodation per person sharply.
- Keep the buffer even on a tight budget: something always costs more than planned.
- Check whether you need a visa and travel insurance, and add them under other costs.
Trip budget questions
How much should I budget per day for travel?
It depends on the place and your style. Add up a typical day — room share, three meals, local transport and one paid activity — at local prices. The calculator then gives the per-person-per-day figure for your whole plan.
How much buffer should a trip budget have?
Around 10–15% of the planned costs. Use more for long trips, places with changing prices, or when paying in a foreign currency.
How do I split trip costs between people?
The per-person result divides the total evenly. If people share rooms differently or pay for their own flights, use the bill split calculator for an uneven split.
Why are there fewer nights than days?
A trip that starts on Monday and ends on Sunday is 7 days but only 6 nights in a hotel. Enter the nights yourself for overnight travel or late check-outs.
Sources
- Budget built from your own figures: accommodation, food, transport, tickets, extras and a contingency buffer
Formulas last reviewed: September 30, 2026 ·How we check our formulas