International travel budget calculator
The general-purpose budget for any trip abroad. Enter what each part will cost; the calculator totals it, splits it per person and per day, and adds a safety buffer.
What this tool does
This is the general-purpose budget for any trip abroad: a visit to relatives in the UAE, a business trip to London, a conference in Kuala Lumpur, a first trip to Europe. It covers the costs every international trip has, in the order you meet them: getting there, the paperwork before you go, and spending on the trip. If your trip is a holiday, a family trip, a study year or Umrah, the more specific calculators ask better questions; use this one when none of those fit or when you want a quick total.
How to use it
- Set the adults, children and nights away. Days are counted as nights + 1.
- Choose the currency you will enter amounts in. Most people budget in PKR, converting foreign quotes at today’s rate; if you prefer to enter everything in USD or EUR, choose that.
- Fill in what you know. Each line says whether it is per person, per night, per day or once for the trip; leave unknown lines at 0 and come back to them. Get real quotes: airline sites for fares, the hotel or booking site for the stay, the embassy or visa centre page for the visa fee.
- Keep the safety buffer at 10% unless you have booked everything already.
- Press Calculate budget. You get the total, per person, per day, and a table sorted by the biggest cost. Inputs are remembered in your browser.
How the result is worked out
Each line is multiplied by its basis: per adult × adults, per child × children, per person × everyone, per night × nights, per day × (nights + 1), per person per day × everyone × days, once × 1. The subtotal plus the buffer is the total; per person divides by everyone travelling and per day by the number of days. Nothing is pre-filled: the calculator never guesses a fare, a hotel rate or a visa fee.
Example
Two colleagues from Islamabad spend 6 nights in Dubai for a trade show. They enter the return fare per adult, the UAE visa fee per person, travel insurance per person (priced with the cost calculator), a hotel rate per night for one twin room, meals per person per day, metro and taxi money per day, and a once-only line for SIM cards and airport transfers. The result shows the trip total, the share each colleague should put in, and the daily figure to withdraw in dirhams, with the flights and the hotel at the top of the table as the costs worth shopping around for.
Frequently asked questions
What should I enter for travel insurance?
The real price. Open the cost calculator in another tab, enter the same destination, dates and ages, and copy the plan price you would buy. It is the one line in your budget that is exact.
How do I budget for the exchange rate?
Convert foreign quotes at today’s open-market rate, then rely on the buffer. If the rupee moves 5% before you travel, a 10% buffer absorbs it. Also budget for how you will pay: cash bought in Pakistan, a card with foreign-transaction fees, or a prepaid travel card.
Is there a limit on cash I can take out of Pakistan?
The State Bank of Pakistan sets limits on foreign currency taken out per trip and per year, and they have changed more than once. Check the current SBP notice before you buy currency; the calculator does not enforce any limit.
Why per day and not per night?
You eat and move around on the day you arrive and the day you leave, so daily spending runs for nights + 1 days. Accommodation is per night because that is how hotels charge.
Limitations and sources
All amounts are yours; the calculator only multiplies and totals them. It does not include costs at home (airport parking, pet care), card fees or tips unless you add a line for them under “Other”. Inputs are saved in this browser, not on TravelConcern.