From the book Go Well: A Summer Field Guide for Graduates and College Students · Updated October 2026
Budget worksheet, daily costs by region, exchange rates, and money tips.
The four numbers
1. Getting there. Your round-trip flight, plus the ride to and from each airport. For most readers, this is the single biggest line. Chapter Five covers how to find the best fare.
2. Sleeping. Every night of the trip, multiplied by the nightly cost. In summer, this is the number that grows fastest, because beds book up and prices rise. Chapter Four covers how to find good, safe, affordable places to stay.
3. Living. Food, local transit, sights, a phone plan, and the small daily things. This is your “daily on-the-ground” number.
4. The cushion. Ten to fifteen percent of everything above, set aside and not spent. It covers the missed train, the surprise heat wave that sends you to an air-conditioned room, or the one splurge you’ll be glad you made. A trip without a cushion is a trip that ends early.
What a day actually costs, by region
These are rough daily costs for one person on a budget, covering a bed, food, local transport, and sights, but not flights. They come from 2026 travel-cost guides, and summer will usually push the housing part higher.
| Region (example city) | Budget day, per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe (Paris) | about €70–95 (about $79–107) | For July and holiday weeks, expect beds to cost 25–40% more (Easy to Travel) |
| Spain (Barcelona) | Dorm beds from about €14–20 (about $16–23) | Prices listed outside peak season; the same bed can double in price between November and August (Hostelworld, Hostel Geeks) |
| Japan (Tokyo) | about ¥10,000 (about $63) | Backpacker level, with your bed, food, local transport, and sightseeing (Time to Japan) |
| Mexico (Mexico City) | about MX$730–1,090 (about $40–60) | Including a dorm bed, street food, and public transit (Nomado Travel) |
| Caribbean (Puerto Rico) | about $120 (U.S. dollars are the local currency) | Budget level; Puerto Rico also has an 11.5% sales tax (Hello, Onme Travel) |
What this table tells you: the same money buys very different trips. A budget that covers one week in Paris in July could cover close to two weeks in Mexico City. Neither is better. They’re different trips. But if your budget is tight and your heart is set on Europe, the region chapters show how to mix a pricier city with a cheaper one.
My real numbers: a few costs from my own July trip, for reference. The flight from Nice to Barcelona was $47 one way. Barcelona to Mallorca was a $97 fare plus $45 in bag fees, so the bags added almost half again to the price. Our rental home in Mallorca came to about $85 per person per night, split six ways. A four-hour boat rental was $380, which is far less painful split among friends (Go Well, Chapter Seven).
Cards, cash, and currency
The way you pay abroad can quietly cost you an extra few percent on everything. Here’s how to avoid that.
Use a card with no foreign transaction fee. Many cards charge a fee of 1% to 3% on every purchase made in another currency (Investopedia). On a $3,000 trip, that’s up to $90 for nothing. Many travel cards don’t charge it. Check your card’s terms before you go.
Always pay in the local currency. When a card reader or ATM abroad asks whether you want to pay in dollars or the local currency, choose the local currency every time: euros in France and Spain, yen in Japan, pesos in Mexico (Wise). Paying “in dollars” sounds convenient, but it uses the merchant’s exchange rate, which is usually worse (One Mile at a Time).
Carry two cards, kept separate. One in your wallet and one locked in your bag. If one is lost, stolen, or blocked by your bank, you still have a way to pay. (Choose Well, Chapter Eight, covers this in full.)
Tell your bank you’re traveling, or check that your app handles it automatically, so your card isn’t frozen on day one.
Cash, by region:
- Europe: cards work almost everywhere. Carry a small amount of cash for markets, small cafés, and public restrooms.
- Japan: it’s more cashless than it used to be. Cashless payments reached 58% of consumer spending in 2025, according to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). But small restaurants, temples, and shrines may still be cash-only. Carry some yen, and use convenience-store ATMs.
- Mexico: carry pesos for street food, markets, small shops, and tips. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centers rather than standalone machines on the street.
- Caribbean: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands use the U.S. dollar. Elsewhere, check whether U.S. dollars are widely accepted, and carry some local currency for small purchases.
Tipping, quickly:
| Region | The short version |
|---|---|
| Japan | Don’t tip. It can be seen as rude (The Points Guy) |
| Western Europe | Service is usually included; round up or leave a little extra for good service |
| Mexico | Tip at sit-down restaurants, usually 10–20%, and 15–20% in beach destinations. Tip in pesos, in cash when you can (AFAR) |
| Puerto Rico | Tip like the mainland U.S., typically 15–20% at restaurants (Hello) |
Each region chapter has more detail.
Budget worksheet
| Line | My numbers |
|---|---|
| Round-trip flight | $ |
| Airport transfers | $ |
| Nights × nightly housing cost | $ |
| Days × daily food cost | $ |
| Local transport and rail passes | $ |
| Sights, tours, and activities | $ |
| Phone plan or eSIM | $ |
| Travel insurance | $ |
| Passport, entry fees, and forms | $ |
| Subtotal | $ |
| Cushion (10–15%) | $ |
| Trip total | $ |
| Already saved | $ |
| Months until I book | |
| Monthly savings goal | $ |
Checklist: Summer Money Plan
- ☐ I’ve picked my trip length and region.
- ☐ I have a real flight quote for my dates.
- ☐ I’ve estimated my daily on-the-ground cost and multiplied it by my days.
- ☐ I’ve added a 10–15% cushion.
- ☐ I know my trip total.
- ☐ I’ve calculated my monthly savings number.
- ☐ I’ve opened a separate, named travel savings account.
- ☐ I have a card with no foreign transaction fee, plus a backup card stored separately.
- ☐ I’ve told my bank I’m traveling.
- ☐ I know how cash and tipping work where I’m going.
- ☐ If I’m traveling with friends, we’ve agreed on a daily budget and how we’ll split costs.
Prices and rules change. Everything on this page was checked in October 2026. Always confirm with the official source before you book.
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