Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total tour cost
$2,095
Fuel cost
$495
Total per-diem
$1,000
Lodging cost
$600
Average cost per day
$210
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter total tour route miles.
- 2Enter van fuel economy (mpg).
- 3Enter gas price per gallon ($).
- 4Enter people on tour.
- 5Enter tour length (days).
- 6Enter per-diem per person per day ($).
- 7Enter total lodging cost for the run ($).
- 8Read your total tour cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Touring budgets blow up from two things: underestimating fuel cost on a long drive and forgetting per-diems compound daily across a full band. This calculator takes route mileage, van fuel economy, current gas price, and a per-person daily food allowance to project total tour transportation and per-diem cost, then divides it against gig income to show whether the run is profitable before you leave the driveway.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total tour route miles: 2200
- Van fuel economy: 16 mpg
- Gas price per gallon: 3.6 $
- People on tour: 5
- Tour length: 10 days
- Per-diem per person per day: 20 $
- Total lodging cost for the run: 600 $
Results
- Total tour cost: $2,095
- Fuel cost: $495
- Total per-diem: $1,000
- Lodging cost: $600
- Average cost per day: $210
What each field means
Inputs
- Total tour route miles
- The total tour route miles used in the calculation. Starts at 2200 so you have a working example on load.
- Van fuel economy (mpg)
- The van fuel economy used in the calculation, measured in mpg. Starts at 16 mpg so you have a working example on load.
- Gas price per gallon ($)
- The gas price per gallon used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3.6 $ so you have a working example on load.
- People on tour
- The people on tour used in the calculation. Starts at 5 so you have a working example on load.
- Tour length (days)
- The tour length used in the calculation, measured in days. Starts at 10 days so you have a working example on load.
- Per-diem per person per day ($)
- The per-diem per person per day used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 20 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Total lodging cost for the run ($)
- The total lodging cost for the run used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 600 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total tour cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Fuel cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total per-diem
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Lodging cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Average cost per day
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a reasonable per-diem rate for a DIY tour?
Most DIY touring bands run $15–$25 per person per day for food, while bands with tour support or bigger guarantees run $30–$50. Anything under $15 usually means eating gas station food the whole run, which catches up with you by week two.
How do I know if the tour is actually profitable?
Sum every guarantee, door split, and merch estimate across all dates and compare it to this total cost number. If gig income barely covers costs, you're touring for exposure and merch sales, not the guarantees — which can still be worth it, just go in knowing that.
Should I budget extra beyond fuel and food?
Yes — add a contingency of 10–15% of total cost for van repairs, parking, tolls, and gear replacement. A blown alternator or a stolen pedal can eat an entire tour's profit margin if you haven't planned for it.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Touring Per-Diem & Van Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/touring-per-diem
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/touring-per-diem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Touring Per-Diem & Van Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Touring Per-Diem & Van Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/touring-per-diem) (2026).