Enter all but one of the costs (T, H, F, M, O) into the calculator to determine the total cost of the business trip; this calculator can also evaluate any of the costs given the others are known.

Business Trip Cost Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the total cost of a business trip:

TC = (T + H + F + M + O)

Variables:

  • TC is the total cost of the business trip
  • T is the cost of transportation
  • H is the cost of accommodation
  • F is the cost of food
  • M is the cost of miscellaneous expenses
  • O is the cost of other expenses

To calculate the total cost of a business trip, add up the costs of transportation, accommodation, food, miscellaneous expenses, and other expenses.

What is a Business Trip Cost?

A business trip cost refers to the total amount of money that a company spends when its employees travel for work-related purposes. This cost includes various expenses such as transportation (airfare, car rental, public transportation), accommodation (hotel, Airbnb), meals, and other incidental expenses like tips and laundry. It may also include registration fees for conferences or trade shows, if applicable. The cost can vary greatly depending on factors such as the destination, duration of the trip, and the company’s travel policy. Companies often have a budget for business travel, and employees are usually required to submit expense reports with receipts for reimbursement. Some companies use a per diem system, which is a specific amount of money allocated per day to cover travel expenses. Business trip costs are considered operating expenses and are tax-deductible for the company.

How to Calculate Business Trip Cost?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Business Trip Cost:


  1. First, determine the transportation cost ($).
  2. Next, determine the accommodation cost ($).
  3. Next, determine the meal cost ($).
  4. Next, determine the miscellaneous expenses ($).
  5. Finally, calculate the total Business Trip Cost.
  6. After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem:

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

transportation cost ($) = 200

accommodation cost ($) = 150

meal cost ($) = 80

miscellaneous expenses ($) = 50