Travel Budget Calculator
Build a trip budget covering flights, accommodation, food, activities and a contingency.
Last updated · View algorithm, constants and default inputs (JSON)
About this calculator
Build a USD trip-cost scenario from the values you enter. Flights, food and activities are multiplied per traveller; accommodation and local transport are group totals per night or day. The model counts one fewer accommodation night than trip days and applies only the contingency percentage you choose; it does not claim that 10% is right for every trip.
Worked example
calculated with the default values below
Travellers 2 · Trip length 7 days · Flights per person 450 USD/person · Accommodation per night (group total) 160 USD/night (group) · Food per person per day 55 USD/person/day · Activities per person per day 35 USD/person/day · Local transport per day (group total) 20 USD/day (group) · Contingency percentage (your scenario) 10 % Total trip cost 3,586 USD · Cost per person 1,793 USD/person · Flights 900 USD · Accommodation 960 USD · Food 770 USD · Activities 490 USD · Contingency 326 USD · Cost per day 512 USD/day
General background references
Disclaimer
These calculators give general estimates. Sizing, pricing, availability and standards vary by brand, retailer and country, so treat the output as a starting point and confirm it against the seller's or authority's own figures.
Implementation source
This record describes the implementation used by this page. It is not independent validation. External references, when available, support only the stated formula or definition; estimates and custom rules retain their own assumptions.
Formula and variables
T = (f₀N + h × (d − 1) + F × N × d + L × d) × (1 + c ÷ 100)
- N
- Travelers
- d
- Trip days
- f₀
- Flights per person
- h
- Hotel per night
- F
- Food + activities, per person-day
- c
- Contingency (%)
Flights, food and activities = per-person rate × travellers (and days where applicable); accommodation = nightly rate × max(0, days − 1); local transport = group daily rate × days. Contingency = subtotal × entered percentage. Inputs are USD scenarios, not price forecasts.
Frequently asked questions
Why is accommodation one night shorter than the trip?
The model uses nights = max(0, days − 1). Flights are per traveler; food and activities are per traveler per day; accommodation is a group total; local transport is a group daily total. The contingency is the percentage you choose, not a recommended or guaranteed buffer.