What a trip to Washington costs, worked out for your days and your party, with every price traced to where it comes from. And then the part most budgets skip: how to actually pay once you are there.
Food, getting around and sights in Washington come to $130 – $160 per person per day. Accommodation, flights and the airport transfer are on top.Prices reviewed: November 2026.
Days, people and how you like to travel decide almost everything. Flights are left out: they depend on where you start.
You still need, flights aside
$1,800 – $2,300
$130 – $170 per person per day · 7 days and 2 people
Expected
$1,800 – $2,300
Most trips land in here
Set aside
$2,300
With this you are unlikely to run short
Cushion, kept apart
$210
10% of the trip
Food$1,200 – $1,500
Getting around$130 – $570
Airport, both ways$27
Sights and activities$70 – $140
Nights out$83 – $190
Lodging tax and odds and ends$72 – $110
Of that, in cash: $23 – $240
The cash share is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement. Your own bank may charge on top; this page cannot know that.
Accommodation is not in this figure. Add your price per night to include it.
Flights are not included.
You probably will not spend the cushion. Having it to hand covers a night you had not planned, a taxi, or a changed ticket.
Styles
What a day in Washington costs, by how you travel
Per person per day, two travelling, without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer. A style is not a figure: it is a way of eating, getting around and seeing things, and each one is spelled out below.
Budget
$73 – $100 per person per day
Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.
FoodLocal and cheap
$55 – $58
Getting aroundPublic transport
$9 – $41
Sights and activitiesThe odd paid sight
$2.50 – $5.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$3.30 – $5.20
Mid-range
$130 – $160 per person per day
Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.
FoodMixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
$89 – $110
Getting aroundPublic transport
$9 – $41
Sights and activitiesOne paid sight a day
$5 – $10
Nights outNow and then
$5.90 – $13.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$5.10 – $7.80
Comfort
$170 – $220 per person per day
The best food level we can price, public transport, two paid sights a day.
FoodRestaurants most of the time
$120 – $160
Getting aroundPublic transport
$9 – $41
Sights and activitiesTwo paid sights a day
$10 – $20
Nights outNow and then
$5.90 – $13.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$6.90 – $11.00
A style's total is not the sum of the extremes of its lines: nobody has a trip where everything comes out cheap, or everything dear. “Sundries” is an assumption of ours, 5% of food, transport and sights, not a measurement.
By length of trip
How much money for 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days in Washington
Per person, two travelling together, without accommodation or flights. It is not the daily figure times the days: airport transfers are paid once, so they weigh less the longer you stay.
Days
Budget
Mid-range
Comfort
3
$230 – $330 $78 – $110 a day
$400 – $510 $130 – $170 a day
$530 – $680 $180 – $230 a day
5
$380 – $540 $76 – $110 a day
$640 – $820 $130 – $160 a day
$850 – $1,100 $170 – $220 a day
7
$530 – $750 $75 – $110 a day
$900 – $1,200 $130 – $170 a day
$1,200 – $1,600 $170 – $220 a day
10
$740 – $1,100 $74 – $110 a day
$1,300 – $1,700 $130 – $170 a day
$1,700 – $2,200 $170 – $220 a day
14
$1,000 – $1,500 $74 – $110 a day
$1,800 – $2,300 $130 – $160 a day
$2,400 – $3,100 $170 – $220 a day
Add your accommodation in the calculator above: it is the largest line and the one we cannot source yet.
Prices
What things cost in Washington
Eating and drinking: no official statistic measures what eating out costs here, so these are prices from the menu each place publishes on its own website, and each row says where it comes from. It is a sample, not an average: there are cheaper and dearer places, and tourist areas cost more.
What
Price
Source
Eating and drinking
Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill
$5.29
From the sourceNov 2026
Two-egg breakfast (The Statesman), Old Ebbitt Grill
$20.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Buttermilk pancakes, Old Ebbitt Grill
$19.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Chili, Old Ebbitt Grill
$9.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Double burger, Bluejacket
$19.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Cheeseburger, Old Ebbitt Grill
$20.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Fish and chips, Bluejacket
$24.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Fish and chips, Old Ebbitt Grill
$26.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Steak frites, Bluejacket
$32.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Steak frites, Old Ebbitt Grill
$38.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Draught Yuengling, Old Ebbitt Grill
$7.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Draught beer, 20 oz, Bluejacket
$8.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Glass of wine, Old Ebbitt Grill
$13.99
From the sourceNov 2026
Getting around
Metrobus, single fare
$2.25
From the sourceNov 2026
Metrorail, fare by distance (weekdays until 9:30 pm)
$2.25 – $6.75
From the sourceNov 2026
1-day pass (SmarTrip card)
$13.50
From the sourceNov 2026
3-day pass (SmarTrip card)
$33.75
From the sourceNov 2026
7-day pass (SmarTrip card)
$60.75
From the sourceNov 2026
Metrorail (Silver Line), Dulles Airport–Metro Center
$6.75
From the sourceNov 2026
Sights
National Building Museum, adult
$10.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Ford's Theatre, online ticket
$5.00
From the sourceNov 2026
Menu prices here exclude tax and tip: the budget adds the 10% sales tax to everything, plus a 20%–20% tip on what you eat or drink sitting down, the range the tourism office gives. The tip is a custom, not a measured price.
From the source means we read it where it is set: the operator, the bank, the city or the statistics office. Reported means a guide or the press says so and we have not seen the original. Where sources disagree we show both figures and leave the price out of every sum.
What each food level is made of
A food level is not a number we chose. It is two lists of dishes from the table above, a cheap day and a dear one, and the price is the sum.
Local and cheap
From Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Chili, Old Ebbitt Grill + Double burger, Bluejacket + Draught beer, 20 oz, Bluejacket ($42.28 on the menu; $54.96 with tax and tip) to Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Chili, Old Ebbitt Grill + Cheeseburger, Old Ebbitt Grill + Draught Yuengling, Old Ebbitt Grill ($44.26 on the menu; $57.54 with tax and tip).
Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
From Two-egg breakfast (The Statesman), Old Ebbitt Grill + Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Chili, Old Ebbitt Grill + Fish and chips, Bluejacket + Draught beer, 20 oz, Bluejacket ($68.27 on the menu; $88.75 with tax and tip) to Buttermilk pancakes, Old Ebbitt Grill + Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Cheeseburger, Old Ebbitt Grill + Fish and chips, Old Ebbitt Grill + Draught Yuengling, Old Ebbitt Grill ($81.25 on the menu; $106 with tax and tip).
Restaurants most of the time
From Two-egg breakfast (The Statesman), Old Ebbitt Grill + Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Double burger, Bluejacket + Steak frites, Bluejacket + Glass of wine, Old Ebbitt Grill ($91.27 on the menu; $119 with tax and tip) to Two-egg breakfast (The Statesman), Old Ebbitt Grill + Coffee, Old Ebbitt Grill + Fish and chips, Old Ebbitt Grill + Steak frites, Old Ebbitt Grill + Glass of wine, Old Ebbitt Grill × 2 ($120 on the menu; $156 with tax and tip).
Getting around
Which ticket pays off
A pass is only cheaper past a certain number of rides. This is that number, worked out from the published fares.
1-day pass at $13.50: it pays off from 6 rides a day at $2.25 each.
3-day pass at $33.75: it pays off from 5 rides a day at $2.25 each.
7-day pass at $60.75: it pays off from 4 rides a day at $2.25 each.
A pass only counts on the lines it covers. Check which ones before you buy.
Accommodation
What the night costs, and the tax on top
There is no open source of hotel prices, and we have not sampled this city yet. So the calculator asks you for the price you have seen instead of printing one that looks plausible.
Lodging tax
Until September 30, 2027
15.95% of the room price
From October 1, 2027
14.95% of the room price
Saving
What saves money in Washington, and what does not
Each line is a subtraction done with the prices on this page. No tricks: just the sum.
What saves
Eating “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner” instead of “Restaurants most of the time”: $30 – $51 less per person per day.
Eating “Local and cheap” instead of “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner”: $34 – $48 less per person per day.
“Fish and chips, Bluejacket” ($24.00) instead of “Fish and chips, Old Ebbitt Grill” ($26.99): $2.99 less each time.
“Steak frites, Bluejacket” ($32.00) instead of “Steak frites, Old Ebbitt Grill” ($38.99): $6.99 less each time.
What does not
The 1-day pass ($13.50) on fewer than 6 rides of $2.25 a day: it costs more than paying for each ticket.
Paying
Payments and tipping in the United States
What holds for the whole country: whether to tip.
Tipping
Restaurants
Customary
Bars and cafés
Customary
Hotels
Customary
Taxis
Customary
If something goes wrong
The numbers and where to go, as the official source publishes them.
How much money do you need for a week in Washington?
For seven days, $900 – $1,200 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.
How much money do you need for 3 days in Washington?
For 3 days, $400 – $510 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.
What is a realistic daily budget in Washington?
Per person per day, without accommodation or flights: $73 – $100 on the “Budget” style, $130 – $160 on the “Mid-range” style, and $170 – $220 on the “Comfort” style.
Can you travel to Washington on a budget?
The cheapest style we work out is “Budget”: $73 – $100 per person per day, without accommodation or flights. Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.
How much does food cost in Washington?
From $55 per person per day (“Local and cheap”) to $160 (“Restaurants most of the time”). The price table has what each dish costs.
How much does transport cost in Washington?
A ride on public transport costs $2.25 – $6.75. The 1-day pass costs $13.50 and pays off from 6 rides a day at $2.25 each.
Is there a lodging tax in Washington?
Yes: 15.95% of the room price.
How much cash should you carry in Washington?
For a week on the “Mid-range” style, about $11 – $120 per person, two travelling. It is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement.
Do you tip in Washington?
Restaurants: customary. Bars and cafés: customary. Hotels: customary. Taxis: customary.
Sources
Where every figure comes from
Each price on this page carries its source. These are all of them. Prices reviewed: November 2026.
This page tells you how much to take. The app keeps count of what you spend.
Joru works out the budget of your itinerary day by day and sets it against what you actually spend, by category and with the exchange rate. On your phone, with no account.
