How the budget is calculated
A trip of N nights spans N + 1 days of spending — you eat on the day you arrive and the day you leave. So accommodation uses nights, and daily costs use days.
accommodation = price per night × nights
food = per person per day × travellers × (nights + 1)
activities = per person per day × travellers × (nights + 1)
local transport = per day × (nights + 1)
total = subtotal × (1 + buffer %)
food = per person per day × travellers × (nights + 1)
activities = per person per day × travellers × (nights + 1)
local transport = per day × (nights + 1)
total = subtotal × (1 + buffer %)
Worked example
Two travellers, 7 nights: $800 to get there, $150 a night, $50 each per day on food, $20 each per day on activities, $10 a day getting around and $100 of extras. That's 800 + 1,050 + 800 + 320 + 80 + 100 = $3,150. A 10% buffer brings it to $3,465 — $1,732.50 each. Saving over 10 weeks means putting aside $346.50 a week.
Budgeting tips that actually help
- Price the big two first. Getting there and accommodation are usually most of the cost and are the easiest to look up exactly.
- Use real daily figures. Check menu prices or recent receipts from a similar trip rather than guessing food costs.
- Keep a buffer. 10–15% covers price changes, a rainy-day museum or a taxi you didn't plan for.
- Remember the one-offs: travel insurance, visas or entry fees, luggage, and pet or house sitting at home.
Driving there? Get the fuel figure from the fuel cost calculator. Travelling as a group? Track who paid what with the expense splitter.