This 7-day trip cost example will help you see what a week-long vacation might really cost before you book.
It’s hard to picture what a “real” trip budget looks like until you see an example. So let’s walk through a simple 7-day trip and see how much it might really cost per person.
We’ll use rough, realistic numbers and then show you how to plug them into the calculator on CostPerTrip so you can run your own version.
Want a quick estimate for your own trip? Use our free Trip Cost Calculator to plug in your details and see your total trip cost and cost per person.
Trip planning tools
Step 1: Set the basic trip details
For this example, we’ll use:
- Number of travelers: 2
- Trip length: 7 nights
- Travel style: Mid-range
- Destination: A typical mid-priced city (not ultra cheap, not ultra expensive)
You can swap in your own numbers later, but this gives us a starting point.
Step 2: Pick a daily budget per person
For a mid-range trip, a common daily budget is around $120–$160 per person per day in many cities.
Let’s pick $140 per person per day for this example. That daily budget needs to cover:
- Accommodation (your half of the room)
- Food and drinks
- Local transport
- Normal activities and small extras
We’ll handle flights separately.
Step 3: Estimate flight costs
Let’s say round-trip flights are $450 per person.
For 2 travelers, that’s:
- $450 × 2 = $900 total for flights
You can add this onto the calculator total or keep it separate if you prefer.
Step 4: Use the Trip Cost Calculator
Now we’ll plug these numbers into the Trip Cost Calculator on CostPerTrip:
- Number of travelers: 2
- Number of nights: 7
- Travel style: Mid-range
- Daily budget per person: $140
The calculator will multiply:
Formula: number of travelers × number of nights × daily budget × travel style multiplier
For this example, you might see something like:
- Estimated total trip cost (excluding flights): about $1,960
- Estimated cost per person (excluding flights): about $980
Now add flights:
- Flights total: $900
- New total trip cost: $1,960 + $900 = $2,860
- New cost per person: $2,860 ÷ 2 ≈ $1,430 per person for the entire week
Step 5: Adjust the example for your own trip
You can change this example to fit your plans by tweaking:
- Number of nights – longer or shorter trip
- Daily budget per person – higher for expensive cities, lower for cheaper regions
- Travel style – budget vs mid-range vs luxury
Each change gives you a new total in seconds.
Step 6: Run your own numbers
This example isn’t “the right” budget for everyone, but it shows how a 7-day trip can add up once you include daily spending and flights.
To see what your own trip might cost:
- Think about your travel style (budget, mid-range, or luxury).
- Pick a daily budget per person that feels realistic.
- Enter your travelers, nights, daily budget, and style into the calculator.
- Adjust the numbers until the total feels right for your situation.
Once you have a rough total, you can start comparing actual flights, hotels, and insurance to stay within your budget.
Planning a shorter getaway instead? Check out our Weekend Trip Cost Example: How Much Does a 3-Day Getaway Really Cost?
Planning a longer trip instead? Read our 10-Day Trip Cost Example: How Much Does a Longer Vacation Really Cost?
When you’re ready, open the Trip Cost Calculator and plug in your own numbers.
Thinking about taking a longer break? Check out our 14-day trip cost example to see what a 2-week vacation might really cost.
If you also want practical ways to bring your 7-day trip cost down, read our 21 Simple Travel Money-Saving Tips (Without Ruining Your Trip) for easy ideas that don’t kill the fun.