A travel budget gets accurate when each cost has a clear "for whom, for how long"
The most common mistake in a trip budget is writing the hotel as a single night and food as a single meal. This calculator lets you pick a basis for every item (total, per person, per night, per day or per person per day) and multiplies by the number of travelers, nights and days for you. Items paid in a foreign currency are converted with the exchange rate you enter, a reserve is added, and you get the total plus the cost per person and per person per day.
You only choose the basis instead of working out each total by hand, and the bars show how much of the trip each item takes.
How to use the calculator
- Dates and travelers: for a trip of 3 nights and 4 days, enter 3 nights and 4 days. A day trip is 0 nights and 1 day.
- Pick a template: the domestic and abroad templates fill in common items and bases. Names, amounts and bases can all be changed, and you can add up to 20 items.
- Foreign-currency items: switch an item's currency to the foreign one, then enter the exchange rate above (what 1 unit of the foreign currency is worth in your home currency).
- Reserve and budget: a reserve percentage is added to the total, and a budget shows how much of it you would use.
- Save and share: copy the summary or save a Excel (.xlsx). Turn on the save switch to keep the plan in this browser.
What each basis multiplies by
| Basis | Multiplied by | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1 | A whole rental-car bill, a shopping budget |
| Per person | Travelers | Flights, tickets, travel insurance |
| Per night | Nights | One room per night, whatever the group size |
| Per day | Days | Daily car rental, parking |
| Per person per day | Travelers × days | Food, local transport, coffee and snacks |
A hotel is usually priced as one room for one night, so pick per night, and enter double the price if a bigger group needs two rooms. On a 3-night, 4-day trip you pay for 3 nights but need food and transport for 4 days, which is why nights and days are separate fields.
Example: 2 people, 3 nights abroad
This is the abroad template worked out as is (example rate 1 EUR = 1.08 USD, 10% reserve, 3 nights, 4 days).
| Item | Amount × basis | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $450 × 2 people | $900 |
| Hotel | $160 × 3 nights | $480 |
| Food | €60 ($64.80) × 2 people × 4 days | $518.40 |
| Local transport | €15 ($16.20) × 2 people × 4 days | $129.60 |
| Tours and tickets | $120 × 2 people | $240 |
| Travel insurance | $40 × 2 people | $80 |
| eSIM and data | $20 × 2 people | $40 |
| Shopping and extras | Total | $300 |
| Items subtotal | $2,688 | |
| Reserve 10% | $268.80 | |
| Estimated total cost | $1,478.40 per person · $369.60 per person per day | $2,956.80 |
Foreign-currency items and exchange rates
Exchange rates change every day, and the rate you get at a cash exchange, an ATM or a card terminal can differ from the published one. The calculator converts every foreign item with the single rate you enter, so it is closer to reality if you use the rate your bank or card issuer applies, plus a small margin for fees. Always enter the value of 1 unit of the foreign currency in your home currency (if 1 EUR costs 1.08 USD, enter 1.08). The rate in the example is only an illustration.
Common mistakes
- Multiplying the hotel by days: a 3-night, 4-day stay is 3 nights. Choosing per day adds a night you do not pay for.
- Multiplying food by people only: daily food needs per person per day so the number of days is included.
- Multiplying a room price by people: a double room is priced per night as it is. Use per person only for hostels or rates quoted per guest.
- Planning with no reserve: delays, weather changes and costlier meals are easy to underestimate. Pick a reserve percentage that fits the kind of trip you are taking.
Limitations
- The exchange rate is not live and the calculation uses only the value you enter. Only one foreign currency is supported.
- Costs that depend on the amount, such as card foreign-transaction fees, local taxes and tips, must be included in the item amount.
- It does not split costs between travelers (who owes whom).
- A plan stays in this browser only when the save switch is on, and nothing is sent to a server.
As of the sources below were checked on 2026-10-09. The example rate is an illustration, not a real quote.
Sources
- 01Federal Reserve Board: H.10 Foreign Exchange RatesA weekly release of daily exchange rates for the previous business week, which shows that rates move from day to day
- 02European Central Bank: Euro foreign exchange reference ratesUpdated around 16:00 CET each working day; published for information purposes only, and using them for transactions is strongly discouraged
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a travel budget?
For each item, multiply the amount by its basis and add everything up. Flights are multiplied by travelers, hotels by nights and food by travelers times days. For 2 people and 3 nights, a $160 hotel is $480, and food of $64.80 per person per day over 4 days is $518.40. Adding a reserve gives the total cost.
How many days of hotel should I enter for a 3-night, 4-day trip?
Three nights. Choose per night and the amount is multiplied by the number of nights (3), while daily costs such as food and transport are multiplied by the number of days (4). That is why nights and days are separate fields.
How much per person should I budget for a trip?
It depends entirely on the destination and travel style. In the abroad example here, 2 people spending 3 nights and 4 days come to $2,956.80 with a 10% reserve, which is $1,478.40 per person or $369.60 per person per day. Use your own figures instead of this example, and compare the per-person result with what you are comfortable spending.
How do I enter costs paid in a foreign currency?
Switch the item's currency to the foreign one and enter the exchange rate in the field above, meaning what 1 unit of the foreign currency is worth in your home currency. If 1 EUR costs 1.08 USD, enter 1.08. The calculator uses only the rate you enter and it is not live.
How big a reserve should I add?
There is no fixed rule. Think about the unplanned costs, such as schedule changes, transport delays or pricier meals, and choose a percentage that suits your kind of trip. Enter it and the calculator adds it to the items subtotal and recalculates the total and per-person cost.
How can I tell whether I am over budget?
Enter your total budget and a bar shows what percentage of it the total cost, reserve included, would use, along with the amount left or over. If you go over, the bar changes to an accent color. Start by trimming the largest item in the share bar.
Can I save or share my plan?
Use Copy summary to copy the total, the per-person cost and each item's subtotal as text, or Download Excel to get a file you can open in a spreadsheet. If you turn on the save switch, the plan stays in this browser and is there when you come back.
Does it split costs between travelers?
No. It is a tool for estimating what the trip will cost before you go, so it does not work out who should pay whom. Collecting each person's share in advance, based on the per-person figure, makes settling up during the trip much simpler.