Trip expense calculator
Trips are the classic mess: one person books the hotel, someone else covers dinner, a third pays for the car. Log it as you go and settle once at the end.
Short answer
Log every trip cost as it happens — flights, taxis, meals, the Airbnb — against whoever paid, then let the calculator net it all down to one transfer per person at the end.
People
Expenses
Balances
- Alex$375.00
- Sarah$15.00
- Mike$165.00
- Emma$195.00
+ gets money back · − owes money
💸 Settle up
Only 3 payments needed.
- EmmaAlex$195.00
- MikeAlex$165.00
- SarahAlex$15.00
Who paid what
- Alex$600.00
- Sarah$180.00
- Mike$60.00
Saved on this device. No account needed.
How it works
- 1Add every traveller before you leave.
- 2Use the quick-add chips for flights, accommodation, food, transport and activities.
- 3Untick anyone who skipped a paid activity so they are not charged for it.
- 4Check balances mid-trip so nobody drifts too far ahead.
A trip usually has one or two people fronting the big costs (flights, accommodation) while everyone chips in for food and taxis along the way. Trying to remember who covered what after four days of travel is where trip finances fall apart.
The fix is to add each expense the moment it happens, tagging who paid and who it covers. You don't need equal amounts each time — someone can pay for dinner one night and nothing the next — as long as every cost is logged against the right people.
At the end, the calculator turns a dozen scattered payments into a handful of balances and the fewest possible transfers to clear them.
Worked examples with real numbers
A four-day city trip for three friends
Amir, Beth and Cara share a four-day trip. Amir books the flights, Beth pays for the Airbnb, and they split food and taxis as they go.
| What was paid | Amount |
|---|---|
| FlightsAmir, all three | 690.00 |
| AirbnbBeth, all three | 480.00 |
| Food and taxisCara, all three | 210.00 |
| Total | 1,380.00 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amir | 690.00 | 460.00 | +230.00 |
| Beth | 480.00 | 460.00 | +20.00 |
| Cara | 210.00 | 460.00 | −250.00 |
- CaraAmir230.00
- CaraBeth20.00
Total spend is 1380, split evenly three ways is 460 each. Amir is owed 230 and Beth 20, while Cara is 250 short — so Cara makes two transfers and the trip is settled exactly.
Uneven days for a five-person trip
Five friends travel together, but Dev joins two days late and misses the shared dinner on day one, so he only owes for the nights he was there.
| What was paid | Amount |
|---|---|
| Group dinners (4 nights, Dev in 3)Faye paid | 400.00 |
| Villa (5 people, full trip)Grace paid | 750.00 |
| Total | 1,150.00 |
| Person | Paid | Fair share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faye | 400.00 | 235.00 | +165.00 |
| Grace | 750.00 | 235.00 | +515.00 |
| Dev | 0.00 | 210.00 | −210.00 |
| Han | 0.00 | 235.00 | −235.00 |
| Ivy | 0.00 | 235.00 | −235.00 |
- HanGrace235.00
- IvyGrace235.00
- DevGrace45.00
- DevFaye165.00
Night one (Dev absent) splits 100 among the other four at 25 each; the remaining three nights split 100 among all five at 20 each. That gives Dev a dinner share of 60 against 85 for everyone else, plus 150 each for the villa — so Dev owes 210 in total against 235 for the rest.
How the running total works
1. Total trip cost
sum of every logged expense
e.g. 690 + 480 + 210 = 1380
2. Fair share per person
total ÷ number of people sharing that expense
3. Balance
amount paid − fair share
positive means owed money, negative means owes
4. Settle
match the largest debtor to the largest creditor until every balance is zero
Mistakes that cause arguments
Waiting until the last night to reconcile
Receipts get lost and amounts get misremembered. Log each cost within the hour, not from memory a week later.
Splitting everything equally by default
If someone skips a meal or joins late, force-fitting them into an equal split overcharges them — mark them out of that specific expense instead.
Ignoring who covered the deposit
Refundable deposits and pre-paid bookings should be tracked separately so they don't get mixed into the day-to-day float.
Practical tips
- Add expenses on your phone in the moment — the group forgets fast once you're back to sightseeing.
- Name the booker for big items (flights, Airbnb) so it's clear who's owed the lump sum.
- Use participant lists on each entry rather than a single global split, especially for optional extras.
- Settle once at the end with the minimum transfers, not after every single expense.
Questions
- What if someone joins the trip halfway?
- Only tick them on the expenses that happened while they were there. Their share is calculated per expense.
- Can we use more than one currency?
- Pick the currency you want to settle in and enter converted amounts, or use the multi-currency page for guidance.
- Does it work without internet?
- The page runs in your browser and your data stays on the device, so once loaded it keeps working.