Work out how much to budget for food on your next trip. Pick a destination, how many days and people, and how you like to eat. The calculator estimates meals, coffee and snacks, drinks, tipping and food tours, and shows a realistic range.
Estimated food budget
How the estimate works
We start from a reference basket of typical US prices for each kind of meal: a street-food or market meal, a casual restaurant meal, a mid-range sit-down meal and a fine-dining meal, plus coffee, drinks, food tours and cooking classes. We then scale that basket by each country’s food price level, so a casual lunch in Vietnam costs a fraction of one in Switzerland.
- Street food: a light breakfast, a street-food or market lunch and a casual dinner each day.
- Mid-range: café breakfast, a casual lunch and a sit-down dinner at a good local restaurant.
- Splurge: café breakfast, a proper restaurant lunch and one fine-dining meal a day.
- Tipping is added to sit-down meals at the rate that is usual in each country (it is zero where tipping is not expected, such as Japan or South Korea).
- Food tours and cooking classes vary less between countries than meals do, so we scale them more gently.
The range shown runs from about 20% below to 25% above the estimate. Capital cities, tourist hot spots and peak season push costs up; eating where locals eat brings them down.
Limitations
These are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices were last reviewed in September 2026 and are shown in US dollars. Costs differ a lot between cities in the same country, and exchange rates move. Check current prices for anything you book in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget for food per day when travelling?
It depends mostly on the country and how you eat. Eating mainly street food, many travellers spend under $20 a day in South and Southeast Asia, while a mid-range day in Western Europe or the United States is often $80–$120 per person. Use the calculator above for your destination.
Does the budget include alcohol?
Only if you add drinks. Set the number of alcoholic drinks per day to zero to leave them out.
Is tipping included?
Yes, by default, at the typical rate for the country you choose. Untick the tipping box to see the cost without tips.
Why is my estimate different from what I paid?
The calculator uses national averages. Big cities, resort areas and restaurants near major sights usually cost more; neighbourhood places and markets usually cost less.
Planning where to eat? Browse our destination guides for what to eat in each country.