When working out how much a trip will cost, most people just add up the flight and the hotel. But small-looking items like airport transfers, local transport, meals, museum tickets, baggage fees, taxes and exchange rate differences add up to a significant part of the total. This guide shows you how to research and estimate each cost, with a worked example.
Short answer: Split your costs into fixed costs (transport, accommodation, visas, insurance) and daily costs (food, local transport, activities). Price fixed costs with real quotes and daily costs as a per-person daily estimate, then multiply by the number of people and days. Add a buffer of 10–15% to the total.
Total trip cost = Fixed costs + (Daily costs × travellers × days) + Buffer
Travel cost calculator
Enter amounts in any currency; the calculator shows the total, per-person and daily average cost:
Daily costs (5 days): 20,000
Subtotal: 44,000 + Buffer: 4,400
Estimated total: 48,400
Per person: 24,200 · Daily average: 9,680
The number of days is calculated as nights plus one, since you spend money on your arrival and departure days too. The default values are examples only; replace them with your own.
1. List every transport cost
As well as your return ticket, include:
- Extra fare charges: Checked bags, seat selection and cabin bag fees. A cheap fare can become expensive once these are added, so include them when comparing prices.
- Airport transfers: From home to the airport and from the destination airport to your hotel, both ways.
- Travel between cities: Trains, buses or domestic flights if your route includes several cities.
- Car hire: Fuel, tolls, parking and insurance on top of the rental price.
How to research: If your dates are flexible, compare flights across several days; check airport transfer prices on the airport's or transport operator's official website.
2. Find the real cost of accommodation
The nightly rate often isn't the final price. Check for:
- Tourist tax: Many European cities charge a per-person, per-night city tax that's sometimes not included in the booking price and is paid at the hotel.
- Cleaning and service fees: Common with apartment and home rentals.
- Breakfast: Is it included or not?
- Deposits: A hold may be placed on your card at check-in; even if it isn't charged, it uses part of your limit.
How to research: Go through to the final payment screen on the booking site to see the full total, and read the booking conditions to see whether tourist tax is included.
3. Estimate your daily food budget realistically
Food is the biggest daily cost and varies enormously between countries. Think about each meal separately:
- Breakfast (if it isn't included)
- Lunch (usually cheaper than dinner)
- Dinner
- Coffee, water and snacks
How to research: Look up menus and prices online for a few restaurants in the area where you'll stay, and settle on an average price for lunch and dinner. Shopping at supermarkets and staying somewhere with a kitchen can cut your daily costs noticeably.
4. Add local transport and activities
- Public transport: Day or week passes are usually cheaper than buying single tickets.
- Museums and attractions: List the entry fees for the places you want to visit. Some cities offer museum or city passes that bundle several entries at a lower price.
- Tours and events: Guided tours, concerts, theme parks.
How to research: Check museum and attraction prices on their official websites. Booking online in advance is sometimes cheaper, and popular sights can sell out.
5. Don't forget costs you pay before the trip
These are easy to overlook because you pay them before you leave, but they're part of the total:
- Visa fees and any visa centre service charges
- Travel insurance
- Mobile data abroad or an eSIM
- Passport fees, if you need a new one
6. Set a separate shopping limit
Treat souvenirs and personal shopping as their own line rather than part of your daily budget. That way, shopping doesn't eat into essentials like food and transport.
7. Leave room for exchange rates and bank fees
When you pay in a foreign currency, your bank's rate and foreign transaction fees increase the real cost. You can see how to calculate this in our Travel currency conversion guide.
Worked example: a 4-night city break for 2
The amounts below are example values chosen to show how the calculation works:
- Transport (2 people, return, bags included): 12,000
- Accommodation (4 nights × 3,000): 12,000
- Food (2 people × 5 days × 1,200): 12,000
- Local transport and activities (2 people × 5 days × 800): 8,000
- Subtotal: 44,000
- Buffer (10%): 4,400
- Estimated total: 48,400, or 24,200 per person
The calculator's default values match this example, so you can enter your own figures and compare straight away.
Compare actual spending with your plan
An estimate is only the starting point. Recording each expense during the trip shows where your estimate was right and where you went over. If you overspend in one category, cut back in another to stay within your overall limit. To split a total budget into categories, see How to plan a travel budget.
Common mistakes
- Only adding up the flight and hotel: Daily costs often add up to more than both.
- Forgetting tourist tax and extra fees: You get a surprise bill at the hotel.
- Not counting arrival and departure days: You still spend on food and transport on those days.
- Not leaving a buffer: An unexpected taxi, medicine or a rate change pushes you over budget.
Track your costs with BudTrip
BudTrip lets you record expenses by category, payment type and currency. Each currency is totalled separately and a category chart shows where your money went, so you can compare what you actually spend with the estimate you made here.
Last updated: 6 October 2026
Related guides:
