Per Diem Calculator
Calculate the total per diem travel allowance for a trip based on daily lodging, meals, and incidentals.
How to use this tool
- Enter the number of days of travel.
- Enter your daily lodging rate (hotel cost per night).
- Enter your daily meals and incidentals allowance.
- Add any other daily expenses.
- The calculator shows the daily total and the full trip allowance.
Calculate the total per diem reimbursement for a business trip or travel allowance.
⚠ This tool provides general estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures may not reflect your situation — verify with a qualified professional.
Formula
Daily total ($/day) = lodging + meals & incidentals + other daily expenses
Total allowance ($) = daily total × number of days
How it works
This calculator sums three categories of daily travel expenses — lodging, meals and incidentals, and other daily costs — to find the per diem rate, then multiplies by the number of travel days for the total allowance. Per diem rates are widely used in business travel and government reimbursement schemes to set predictable daily spending limits. Actual rates may differ from official government schedules, which vary by destination city and are updated periodically.
Worked example
- Days = 5, lodging = $150/day, meals = $60/day, other = $20/day
- Daily total = $150 + $60 + $20 = $230/day
- Total allowance = $230 × 5 = $1150
Daily total = $230/day, total allowance = $1150
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the standard GSA or government per diem rate for a private-sector trip where the employer has set a different rate. The calculator uses the values you enter; you must look up the applicable rate for your employer or destination.
- Counting partial travel days as full days. Many employers and the IRS use 75% of the daily rate for departure and return days; this calculator uses the full daily total for all days entered.
- Forgetting that lodging per diem and M&IE (meals and incidental expenses) are separate allowances with separate caps in many government and corporate policies, and they should not be combined into one daily figure unless your policy permits it.
Key terms
- Per diem
- A Latin phrase meaning 'per day'; a fixed daily allowance paid to employees to cover travel-related expenses.
- Lodging rate
- The maximum reimbursable nightly accommodation cost, often set by employer policy or government schedule.
- Meals and incidentals (M&IE)
- A combined daily allowance covering food, beverages, tips, and minor incidental costs such as baggage handling fees.
- Reimbursement ceiling
- The maximum amount an organisation will reimburse for a given expense category; spending above the ceiling is the employee's responsibility.
- GSA per diem rates
- US General Services Administration rates that set the federal per diem for lodging, meals, and incidentals for each US city, updated annually.
Frequently asked questions
- What is per diem?
- Per diem (Latin: 'per day') is a daily allowance paid to employees to cover expenses such as accommodation, meals, and incidentals while travelling for work. Rates vary by destination.
- What is the US federal per diem rate?
- The US GSA (General Services Administration) sets per diem rates for government employees. The standard 2024 continental US rate is $166 for lodging and $79 for meals and incidentals.