How to use the per diem calculator
- Enter the lodging rate per night and the meals and incidentals rate per day from your employer, client or travel policy. Nothing is looked up for you.
- Enter the number of nights, the full days and the travel days (the first and last day), and the share of the meal allowance paid on travel days.
- If some meals were provided, open Advanced options, enter how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners were provided and the amount your policy deducts for each.
- Read the total and the table of where it comes from. Print the result or save it as a CSV file for an expense report.
Formula
Lodging = nights x lodging rate
Meals = full days x meal rate + travel days x meal rate x travel day share - provided meal deductions (never below zero)
Total per diem = lodging + meals
Every amount is rounded to the cent, half up. Provided meal deductions come off the meal amount only.
Worked examples
With a lodging rate of $150, a meal rate of $60, 3 nights, 2 full days and 2 travel days at a 75% share, lodging is 3 x $150 = $450, full day meals are 2 x $60 = $120 and travel day meals are 2 x $60 x 75% = $90. The total is $660, an average of $165 across the 4 days counted.
If one breakfast was provided and your policy deducts $12 for it, meals fall from $210 to $198 and the total is $648. A single travel day with a $33.33 meal rate at 75% is $24.9975, which rounds to $25.00. If deductions are larger than the meal amount, meals are held at zero and lodging is not reduced.
What per diem means
A per diem is a fixed daily allowance for travel costs, paid instead of reimbursing each receipt. It usually has two parts: lodging, and meals and incidental expenses. Some organizations also use the term for a fixed daily rate paid to someone who works by the day. This tool is built for travel allowances.
The rates, the share paid on travel days and the deduction for provided meals are all set by the organization or the tax authority that applies to your trip, and they change from place to place and over time. For that reason, every rate on this page is an empty field or a labeled example. Enter the figures from your own policy.
Using the result
Keep the table with your expense report so a reader can follow how the total was built. If your policy treats the first and last day differently, use the travel days field and set the share to match. If a day has no meal allowance, leave it out of both day counts.
Allowed amounts, partial-day rules and tax treatment are not looked up or modeled. Check them with your employer, client or tax professional. For related planning, see the mileage reimbursement calculator, the trip budget planner, the fuel cost calculator and the freelance rate calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- All rates are numbers you enter. The 75% share on travel days is an example you can change.
- Meal deductions reduce only the meal amount and can bring it to zero but not below.
- Taxes, receipts rules and regional rates are not modeled.
- Counts of nights and days are up to 366 each.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate per diem for a trip?
Multiply the nights by the lodging rate, add the meal rate for each full day and a share of it for travel days, then subtract any provided meals. This tool does those steps and shows each part.
Why are first and last days paid at a lower rate?
Many policies pay only part of the daily meal allowance on the days you leave and return, because part of the day is spent at home. The share is a field you set to match your policy.
Does this tool know the rates for my destination?
No. It does not look anything up. Take the lodging and meal rates from your employer, client or the authority that sets them for your trip, and type them in.
Is a per diem taxable?
It depends on the rules that apply to you and on the rate you are paid. This tool does not model tax, so ask your employer or a tax professional.