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Per diem calculator

Total travel reimbursement from lodging and meal & incidental (M&IE) rates. Following the US GSA convention, the first and last travel days are paid at 75% of the M&IE rate; choose full M&IE or a custom percentage instead. Lodging is charged per night (days − 1).

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The Per diem calculator turns Number of trip days, Lodging rate (per night), M&IE rate (per day), Travel-day proration into Lodging total, M&IE total, Total per diem, instantly and for free. For instance, with Number of trip days = 3, Lodging rate (per night) = $150.00, M&IE rate (per day) = $79.00 and Travel-day proration = First & last day at 75% (GSA) it returns Lodging total = $300.00, M&IE total = $197.50 and Total per diem = $497.50.

How to use it

  1. Enter your values: Number of trip days, Lodging rate (per night), M&IE rate (per day), Travel-day proration.
  2. Read the result instantly: Lodging total, M&IE total, Total per diem.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Per diem calculator work?

It takes Number of trip days, Lodging rate (per night), M&IE rate (per day) and Travel-day proration and derives Lodging total, M&IE total and Total per diem from them. The calculation is live as you type, so the result updates on every change.

Which values does the calculator ask for?

4 values: Number of trip days, Lodging rate (per night) ($), M&IE rate (per day) ($) and Travel-day proration. Nothing else is required — no account, no file upload.

What does a typical calculation look like?

With Number of trip days = 3, Lodging rate (per night) = $150.00, M&IE rate (per day) = $79.00 and Travel-day proration = First & last day at 75% (GSA), the calculator returns Lodging total = $300.00, M&IE total = $197.50 and Total per diem = $497.50. Those figures come from running this exact tool, so you can reproduce them by entering the same values.

How much does the result change with different inputs?

It moves a lot. Using Number of trip days = 6, Lodging rate (per night) = $165.00, M&IE rate (per day) = $87.00 and Travel-day proration = Full M&IE every day instead, Lodging total goes from $300.00 to $825.00 — which is why it is worth testing a few scenarios rather than trusting a single figure.

Which “Travel-day proration” option should I choose?

You can pick between « First & last day at 75% (GSA) » and « Full M&IE every day ». Each one changes what the calculator works out, so switch and compare — the default is « First & last day at 75% (GSA) ».

What does it give for smaller values?

Scaled down to Number of trip days = 2, Lodging rate (per night) = $135.00, M&IE rate (per day) = $71.00 and Travel-day proration = First & last day at 75% (GSA), Lodging total comes out at $135.00. The relationship is worth checking at both ends before you rely on a single result.

When would I actually use this?

Budgeting a hire properly, converting between working-time bases, and checking what leave, overtime or a departure actually costs.

What is the most common mistake?

Budgeting the salary as the cost of the hire. Employer contributions, paid leave, equipment and the recruitment itself typically add 20% to 60% on top, depending on the country.

What is the difference between the Per diem calculator and the Employee cost calculator?

This one returns Lodging total and M&IE total; the Employee cost calculator returns Total annual cost and Total monthly cost. That is the whole difference — open the one whose figure you need.

Is there a tool for the next step?

Revenue per employee calculator is the closest one after this: A simple productivity gauge: total revenue ÷ number of employees, annualised. It shows how much each employee generates on average — a figure that varies hugely by industry, so compare within your sector.

Further reading

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ComparisonTravel Expenses: Flat Rate or Actual Cost, and Where the Threshold SitsThe threshold everyone asks about exists in France, and it turns out to be the scale figure itself. In Germany it does not exist for meals at all, and in Spain the employee never gets the choice. Three designs, with the instrument and the year behind every number.ExplainerAsset Turnover: Diagnosing Capital That Is AsleepNet sales divided by net fixed assets is one of the easiest ratios to compute and one of the least comparable. The same retailer scored 10× before the lease standard and 1.39× after it — same shops, same sales, same year.ExplainerWhat an Employee Actually Costs: France, Germany and Spain in 2026The gross salary on the contract is not the price of the job. Three European countries, the same monthly gross, and the employer's compulsory bill differs by nearly a factor of two — because of ceilings, not because of headline rates. Here is the 2026 arithmetic, line by line.ExplainerEmployee Turnover: What It Costs and How to Count ItThe turnover rate is an argument about the denominator, and the same year of data gives anything from 11.4% to 16.5%. Then the cost — built from vacancy, recruitment, onboarding and the ramp, not from a quoted multiple of salary.GuideWhat a Babysitter Actually Costs, Beyond the Hourly RateThe hourly rate is the small part. Minimum hours, the late-return surcharge, the ride home — and the question that changes the number most: casual help, or a declared employee? Six markets, named, with the thresholds that could be verified.GuideHours Worked With Breaks: the Two Questions the Arithmetic Cannot AnswerEnd minus start minus break is the easy part. Whether a break is paid and whether it counts as working time are two different questions with different answers by country — plus rounding, where timesheets actually go wrong, and what the tool does with a shift that crosses midnight.