Travel Trip Cost Calculator

Average daily costs by destination

These are 2026 estimates for typical mid-range travelers, per person per day (food, lodging, local transport, activities; flight excluded):

• US domestic: $180-280/day mid-range, $400+/day for major cities (NYC, SF, LA).
• Western Europe (Paris, Rome, London): $150-220/day mid-range, $350+/day for luxury.
• Eastern Europe (Prague, Budapest, Krakow): $80-130/day mid-range — same experience for half the price.
• Asia (Bangkok, Bali, Vietnam): $50-90/day mid-range, $150-200/day for comfort tier.
• Japan: $130-180/day mid-range — high transport and food costs offset reasonable hotel pricing.
• Latin America (Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia): $60-110/day mid-range.
• Luxury anywhere: $400-800/day for 5-star hotels, fine dining, private transport.

Budget breakdown — what people get wrong

• Flights: Typically 25-40% of total trip cost for international, 10-25% for domestic.
• Lodging: Usually 30-45% of trip cost. The biggest savings opportunity if you flex on dates/location.
• Food: 15-25% of budget. Plan for 1 nicer dinner + 1 cheap meal per day rather than 3 mid-range.
• Ground transport: 5-10% of budget. Underestimated by most travelers — Uber/taxi adds up.
• Activities/tickets: 10-20% of budget. Pre-book to skip lines and lock in lower prices.
• Reserve buffer: Add 15-20% to your estimate. Emergencies, missed flights, "we have to try this" experiences.

Money-saving moves that actually work

• Shoulder season: 2 weeks before or after peak. 20-40% lower lodging at almost peak weather.
• Book flights Tuesday afternoon per ARC industry data. Save 5-15% vs weekend bookings.
• Hotel.com / Booking.com: Find the lodging, then call the hotel direct to match or beat the rate — they often will.
• Eat lunch where dinner is expensive. Same restaurant, often 40-60% cheaper at lunch with the same menu.
• Public transit weekly/monthly passes save 40-70% vs single-ride or daily.
• Avoid ATM fees — Schwab, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab debit cards refund all foreign ATM fees worldwide.

Travel insurance — when worth it

Worth it: international trips over $2,000, trips with prepaid non-refundable bookings, anywhere medical care is expensive (US for foreigners, anywhere remote). Skip it for short domestic trips with refundable bookings. Annual policies (~$300) make sense if you travel 3+ times per year.

For more tested travel gear, see our travel reviews.