Giving a single figure on the typical vacation cost is complicated and, to an extent, impossible. Considering different people have different tastes, budgets, and criteria when going on a vacation, this article gives a detailed breakdown of different vacation costs and their typical amounts.
That way, we can sum up the average cost of vacations based on the number of people, location and length, budget, and more. Read on for the numbers!
Average Vacation Cost for One Person
Let’s kick things off with the most simple figures, per person per night, and then work our way to longer stays and multiple people.
Transportation Costs
Data reveals that the average price of a round-trip flight to a holiday spot in the USA is $330. For international destinations, the average cost is significantly higher, at $810.
However, regardless of where you stay, you will likely incur additional costs when vacationing. People don’t just stay in one place when on holiday, so you can add $73 per day for a rental vehicle, and another $57 per day for gas.
Traveling costs can be significantly lowered if you use public transport instead of driving. Instead of the $130 for a car rental and gas, you can get around with $36 per day by using public transportation.
Finally, let’s not forget airport parking, which will take you back between $32.50 and $75 per day, depending on the airport.
Accommodation
Depending on the level of comfort required, the price of vacation accommodation options can vary considerably.
Namely, the average vacation rentals cost about $137 per night, but you can cut down on your holiday expenses by opting for a single hotel room which costs $102 per night.
RV campsites are undoubtedly the cheapest option, averaging between $30 and $50 per night.
Food and Drink
One of the best parts of any vacation is enjoying local food, though that’s a pleasure that can be quite costly. Data indicates the average restaurant meal on holiday spots is around $18, and three meals per day should cost you about $46.
You can manage your vacation food budget and try not to eat out all the time. Purchasing the food from local markets and preparing it yourself is a great alternative to save you a ton of money.
Furthermore, we all like to relax and let loose during our holidays, so drinking will likely be on the menu and take you back for $21 per night out.
Entertainment
Holiday activities might be the hardest to estimate as there are so many different things that you can do on vacation.
Here’s a short list of day-to-day vacation expenses that most people would likely incur:
Museum visit – between $15 and $32;
Going to a concert – $96;
National park – up to $35 per vehicle;
Ski Resorts – up to $160 per day;
Amusement parks – between $60 and $266 per day.
Of course, there are millions of other things people like to do on holiday, and most of them fall within the price ranges of the activities above so that they can be used as a reference.
Now that we have the individual prices, we can do the math and see the total costs.
Average Cost of a One-Week Vacation (Solo Traveler)
To get to the most accurate number, we will first add up all of the costs of the cheapest option. Then we will do the same with the most expensive options, and the figure we are looking for should be somewhere in between.
Let’s say you are flying domestically ($330), leaving your car at an airport with the cheapest parking ($32.50 per day), and only using public transport ($36 per day) during your holiday.
To further minimize your vacation spending, you are staying at a campsite ($40 per night), and never eating at a restaurant ($46 per day). You visit one museum ($24) and go to a national park ($35).
The cost of a one-week vacation on a budget for one should be around $1,480.
Now for the costly option, you are flying internationally ($810), paying airport parking at the highest price ($75 per day), and renting a vehicle ($130 per day).
You stay at a vacation rental ($137 per night), always wine and dine ($54+$21 per day).
And to make this vacation budget realistic, let’s say you don’t do all five of the activities and only go to a concert ($96) and an amusement park for a day ($163).
Based on the above, the cost of a one-week vacation abroad for one totals around $3,990.
Another variation is when the holiday destination is in the US ($330), parking costs are somewhere in the middle ($54 per day), and public transport is used ($36 per day).
This time, you are staying at a hotel ($102 per night), getting a complimentary breakfast and spending less on food and drinks ($50 per day), and going to a ski resort ($160) for one day.
We get to a price of $2,185, arguably our best estimation for the average cost of a vacation, using the figures we had to work with.
By being somewhere in the middle, we believe the third scenario gives us the most realistic results, as the largest number of people can’t afford luxurious holidays. Still, not everyone looks exclusively for the cheapest vacation options, and most people like to get comfortable when on vacation.
Whatever category you’re in, you can use the data to make additional combinations and calculations (number of nights, different activities, etc).
Average Vacation Cost for a Couple (Seven-Day Long)
Using the previous scenarios, let’s try to estimate the vacation costs if there are two people traveling together. Simply doubling the figures would not be an accurate estimation, as there are some costs that can be shared.
The first and least expensive scenario adds up to $2,440 or $1,220 per person, indicating that it is better to have a vacation in a pair when on a tight budget.
The same can be said about the second and most expensive scenario as well, as the total cost adds up to about $5,600, or $2,800 per person. Even though the international travel budget is significantly higher than the domestic one, you can share the vacation rental, airport parking, rent-a-car and gas costs to make it more efficient.
The third and most realistic variation adds up to $3,280, or $1,640 per person, which means that vacationing with someone is always cheaper than vacationing alone. Whether going to a domestic or international holiday spot, staying at a hotel or vacation rental, renting a vehicle, or busing, splitting the costs with another person will make things cheaper for both of you.
Average Cost of a Family Vacation
In this last section, we will try to estimate the cost of a family vacation. For our calculations to remain aligned with previous ones, we will keep the duration of the vacation at seven days, and only increase the number of people traveling to four.
In the first and least expensive scenario, the family would be taken back for about $4,330 or $1,080 per person.
The grand total in the second and most expensive scenario is $8,770, or 2,190 per family member.
The costs in the third and most realistic scenario total at $6,180 or $1,545 per person.
The average family vacation cost continues the trend of paying less when vacationing with a larger group of people, given that they are paying for themselves. Of course, that isn’t the case when traveling with kids who can’t pay for themselves.
However, depending on their age, children might not need their own plane tickets, and don’t cost as much as adults do when it comes to accommodation. So make sure to consider that when calculating your budget.
It’s also important to point out that renting a vehicle and paying for gas can turn out to be the cheaper option than paying public transport tickets when traveling in larger groups.
Average Vacation Cost – The Summary
In summation, the cost of a seven-day vacation can vary on a multitude of factors, though if we have to estimate an average, it would fall somewhere in these ranges:
$1,480 and $3,990 (likely $2,185) for a single traveler;
$2,440 and $5,600 (likely $3,280) for a couple;
$4,330 and $8,770 (likely $6,180) for a family of four.
Hopefully, these calculations gave you the answer you were looking for and will help you plan out your next vacation. Safe travels!
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