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Prefilled with a round United States planning figure, not a statistic. Illustrative figure for a 1-2 week international trip per person.
| Category | % of budget | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Flights & Transport | 30% | $900 |
| Accommodation | 30% | $900 |
| Food & Dining | 20% | $600 |
| Activities & Excursions | 10% | $300 |
| Shopping & Souvenirs | 5% | $150 |
| Miscellaneous / Buffer | 5% | $150 |
| Total | 100% | $3,000 |
How much should you budget for a vacation from the United States?
An illustrative budget for a one-to-two-week international trip from the United States is about $3,000 per person. Flights and accommodation typically cost about $900 each, with food about $600, activities $300, and shopping and a buffer about $150 each. Destination, season and travel style move the real figure far more than any average.
Example United States trip budget split
At an illustrative reference of $3,000 per person, here is how the standard rule-of-thumb percentages break down. Real trip costs depend entirely on destination and travel style.
- Flights & Transport: $900 (30%)
- Accommodation: $900 (30%)
- Food & Dining: $600 (20%)
- Activities & Excursions: $300 (10%)
- Shopping & Souvenirs: $150 (5%)
- Miscellaneous / Buffer: $150 (5%)
The same split at a smaller or larger vacation budget
The percentages stay the same when the total moves. Half the reference budget is $1,500 and one and a half times it is $4,500; each line below scales with it.
| Category | 50% of reference | 100% of reference | 150% of reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights & Transport (30%) | $450 | $900 | $1,350 |
| Accommodation (30%) | $450 | $900 | $1,350 |
| Food & Dining (20%) | $300 | $600 | $900 |
| Activities & Excursions (10%) | $150 | $300 | $450 |
| Shopping & Souvenirs (5%) | $75 | $150 | $225 |
| Miscellaneous / Buffer (5%) | $75 | $150 | $225 |
| Total | $1,500 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
Per day and per travelling party
The reference budget is for one person. Divided by trip length it gives a daily spending figure, and multiplied by the number of travellers it gives the total for your party:
| Trip length | All costs per day | Food per day |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | $429 | $86 |
| 10 days | $300 | $60 |
| 14 days | $214 | $43 |
- 1 traveller: $3,000 in total.
- 2 travellers: $6,000 in total.
- 4 travellers: $12,000 in total.
Frequently asked questions
This depends entirely on destination, season, and travel style, there is no single meaningful average. The $3,000 figure here is only an illustrative starting point for a 1-2 week international trip per person.
By a standard rule-of-thumb percentage breakdown (flights and accommodation typically take the largest share), applied to whatever total you enter.
Yes, the total budget field is editable. Enter your own number and every category recalculates instantly.
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser.
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Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: October 7, 2026