Per Diem Calculator: Lodging, Meals & Travel Allowance

What does $785.00 of per diem mean?

It means the trip allowance is $157.00 a day for 5 days: $98.00 a day for the hotel and $59.00 a day for meals and small costs, added up to $490.00 plus $295.00. The split matters more than the total, because most expense policies cap lodging and meals separately — a $120.00 hotel night on a $98.00 lodging rate is over the lodging limit even if the meals side comes in under. The part people get wrong is treating per diem as a reimbursement for what was actually spent: a per diem is a flat allowance, so spending less than the rate on a day does not reduce the allowance, and spending more does not raise it.

Three things to check before you trust the number

Is the rate the right one for the city? Per diem rates vary by location and by year: the defaults here are a round example, not any agency's published rate for a real city. Check the rate table that applies to your trip before you file, and the 7-day branch shows how the same rates stretch to $1,099.00.

Are first and last days full days? Many policies pay a reduced meals rate — often 75% — on the first and last travel days. This calculator pays every day in full, so a trip with two partial days will come out a little high; the $0.00-meals branch shows what the lodging-only side looks like on its own.

Does the trip include a provided meal? If a conference or host provides a meal, many policies deduct that meal from the day's meals rate. The calculator does not deduct provided meals, so subtract them from the meals total yourself before you compare against a policy limit.

Worked example

On the defaults: $98.00 lodging, $59.00 meals, 5 days.

1. Daily rate: $98.00 plus $59.00 is $157.00 a day.
2. Lodging total: $98.00 times 5 days is $490.00.
3. Meals total: $59.00 times 5 days is $295.00.
4. Per diem total: $490.00 plus $295.00 is $785.00.

And the other way: the trip days needed for $942.00 of per diem at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals are 6 days, the lodging rate needed for $850.00 of per diem over 5 days at $59.00 meals is $111.00 a night, and the largest whole trip days keeping per diem at or below $1,000.00 at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals are 6 days, paying $942.00, while 7 days would pay $1,099.00 and overshoot.

Every branch, checked

• 5 days at $120.00 lodging and $75.00 meals: 5 days at $120.00 lodging and $75.00 meals: Per diem $780.00 (lodging $480.00, meals $300.00).
• 7 days at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: 7 days at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: Per diem $1,099.00 (lodging $686.00, meals $413.00).
• 3 days at $150.00 lodging and $60.00 meals: 3 days at $150.00 lodging and $60.00 meals: Per diem $630.00 (lodging $450.00, meals $180.00).
• 5 days at $0.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: 5 days at $0.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: Per diem $295.00 (lodging $0.00, meals $295.00).
• 5 days at $98.00 lodging and $0.00 meals: 5 days at $98.00 lodging and $0.00 meals: Per diem $490.00 (lodging $490.00, meals $0.00).
• 10 days at $200.00 lodging and $80.00 meals: 10 days at $200.00 lodging and $80.00 meals: Per diem $2,800.00 (lodging $2,000.00, meals $800.00).

The reverses, worked backwards

• Trip days needed for $942.00 of per diem at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: 6 days — at 6 days the figures are Per diem $942.00 (lodging $588.00, meals $354.00).; at the lower neighbor the figures are Per diem $785.00 (lodging $490.00, meals $295.00).; at the upper neighbor the figures are Per diem $1,099.00 (lodging $686.00, meals $413.00)..
• Lodging rate needed for $850.00 of per diem over 5 days at $59.00 meals: $111.00 a night — at $111.00 a night the figures are Per diem $850.00 (lodging $555.00, meals $295.00).; at the lower neighbor the figures are Per diem $845.00 (lodging $550.00, meals $295.00).; at the upper neighbor the figures are Per diem $855.00 (lodging $560.00, meals $295.00)..
• Largest whole trip days keeping per diem at or below $1,000.00 at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals: 6 days — at 6 days the figures are Per diem $942.00 (lodging $588.00, meals $354.00).; at the lower neighbor the figures are Per diem $785.00 (lodging $490.00, meals $295.00).; at the upper neighbor the figures are Per diem $1,099.00 (lodging $686.00, meals $413.00)..

What the defaults assume

The defaults are $98.00 lodging, $59.00 meals and 5 days, so the headline is one five-day trip at a flat daily rate. The model is two multiplications and one addition: lodging total is rate times days, meals total is rate times days, and per diem is their sum. The days reverse is checked at 1 day either side, because 1 day at $157.00 is $157.00 of per diem; the lodging reverse is checked at $1.00 a night either side, because $1.00 times 5 days is $5.00 of per diem. The model does not apply partial-day reductions, provided-meal deductions, or taxes — those belong to the travel policy, not to the daily-rate arithmetic.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• A business traveller estimating a trip budget — 5 days at $98.00 and $59.00 is $785.00 before flights and transport, and the split shows which side of the budget is tight.
• A manager approving an expense report — the lodging and meals totals check separately against policy caps, so an over-limit hotel night cannot hide inside a cheap meals week.
• A freelancer quoting a job that needs travel — the 10-day branch at $200.00 and $80.00 shows a $2,800.00 allowance to build into the quote.
• A student learning allowance arithmetic — one worked example from daily rates to totals, and branches that show how each input moves the answer.

Accuracy & limitations

Figures are the model's own arithmetic on the numbers you type, computed from unrounded values and displayed rounded HALF_UP to 2dp. The main limitation is the policy, not the arithmetic: real per diem rates are set by an employer or agency for a specific city and year, partial first and last days are often paid at a reduced rate, and provided meals are often deducted. This page is a calculation tool, not travel or tax advice.

Cite this calculator

5 days at $98.00 lodging and $59.00 meals per day is $785.00 in per diem. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/per-diem-calculator/, accessed 28 October 2026.

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