How Much Does a Round the World Trip Cost?

A round the world trip costs most people $25,000 to $55,000 for a year, flights included. Three months runs about $10,000 to $20,000, and six months $15,000 to $35,000. The round-the-world ticket itself is usually $2,500 to $8,000 per person in economy, and simpler routes start from about $1,300. The rest is daily spending, which runs from $20 to $50 a day in South Asia up to $80 to $150 in Western Europe.

The flight numbers come from fares we’ve actually priced. When we last checked them (July to September 2026), the economy routes on our sample routes page that go all the way around started between $1,327 and $5,225 per person. A loop from Los Angeles through London, Bangkok and Sydney and back started at $1,517. The business class ones started between $7,936 and $15,280. If the ticket is the only part you’re pricing, our guide to round-the-world ticket cost covers alliance passes, custom routes and business class fare by fare.

It’s one of the first questions asked by anyone considering a round the world trip: how much will it cost?

This is our best shot at nailing down just how much it costs to travel around the world. It’s tricky to give an exact answer to this question, because every trip is based on different variables like destinations, timing, and traveling style.
If you want to see our hard number, jump to that section. Otherwise, read on to see why a hard number shouldn’t always be trusted.

Which variables affect costs?

• When you go – Timing has a huge influence on the overall cost of an around-the-world trip. Prices in a given location can vary wildly depending on the time of year you’re there (also known as seasonality).
• Where you go – Some parts of the world are more expensive than others. Europe, the United States, Australia, and Japan are going to cost more. India, Southeast Asia, and Central America will bring the cost down.

• What you do when you’re there – Going out for adventures every day will bring up the total cost of your trip. Skydives, snorkeling, dune buggies, and ski slopes aren’t cheap!
• Your accommodations – hostels, hotels, guest houses, long-term rentals. The level of luxury you choose will have a huge effect on your trip’s cost.
• The type of food you eat – Eating at street vendors, supermarkets, restaurants, local homes or Buddhist monasteries…where you eat will alter your food budget.

What’s generally included in the cost of a round-the-world trip?

There are really only a few things that people spend their money on when they travel:

Plane tickets – Getting from region to region. Most economy round-the-world tickets through AirTreks cost $2,500 to $8,000 per person, including taxes, and simpler routes start from about $1,300. You can estimate the cost of your airfare with our TripPlanner. If you need a number before you’ve picked your cities, budget toward the top of that range and treat anything lower as a bonus. Business class costs a lot more, usually $8,000 to $20,000 per person.

Accommodations – These can range from the most barebones dormitory-style hostel to a fairly luxurious hotel or resort. Of course you can mix and match over the course of your trip. After plane tickets, accommodations will be the most expensive part of your travel budget. Hostel dorms keep it lowest. A private room every night is what pushes a budget toward the top of the daily ranges below.

Food/Drink – This item can range from supermarket picnicking, to street food, to restaurants. This will vary from meal to meal.

Activities – These are things like tours, museums, adventure activities, safaris. Of course you’re going to spend money on doing things. Anything from a few dollars for a museum to several hundred for a dive course or a skydive.

Ground transportation – This includes buses, trains, ferries, taxis, moto-rickshaws, regular rickshaws, tuk-tuks, barges, speedboats, motorcycle rentals. Costs vary depending on how far you’re going and how fast. Taking a moto across town in Africa costs less than a dollar. Renting a Mercedes in Dubai might cost $500. Generally, though, ground transportation is a small fraction of your expenses.

Daily costs – Put accommodation, food, activities and local transport together and a mid-range traveler (private room, eating out, some activities) spends about $20-50 a day in South Asia, $30-100 in Southeast Asia, $40-80 in South America, $50-80 in Eastern Europe and $80-150 in Western Europe. Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand run $80-120.

Here’s how much a round the world trip will cost*

Our current estimate for a year on the road is $25,000 to $55,000 per person, counting economy flights, daily costs, insurance, visas and a cushion for the date change almost everyone makes.

That range covers the middle of the bell curve. If you prefer to live in the lap of luxury, flying in business class and staying at the Four Seasons, you’re going to have to pay a lot more than that. A backpacker who sleeps in dorms and spends most of the year in South Asia, Southeast Asia and South America can come in well under it. Spread over twelve months, a round the world trip costs one person roughly $2,100 to $4,600 per month, taking everything into consideration. For many people it’s cheaper to be on the road than staying at home.

*This shouldn’t be taken as a hard and fast number, since variables for your particular traveling style are numerous.

Keep in mind that the longer the trip, the less you spend on a daily basis simply because you don’t need to fill each day with activities or spending expensive time in airports. This is the reason why we’ve said that longer trips can actually be cheaper on a relative basis.

If you want some further hard numbers on how much a round the world trip cost, there’s a selection of travel bloggers who have posted their numbers online for all to compare and to evaluate. The travel blog Jack and Jill Travel has compiled some of the best. The blog RTW Expenses put together a yearlong tally of their personal costs for a RTW trip back in 2012.

For a line-by-line plan, see how to budget a backpacking trip around the world.

More questions about round the world trip cost

How much does a year-long round the world trip cost?

About $25,000 to $55,000 per person, or $2,100 to $4,600 a month. The flights are a one-time cost of $2,500 to $8,000 for most economy routes, so the longer you stay out, the smaller their share. A year spent mostly in Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America lands near the bottom of the range. A year with long stretches in Western Europe, Japan or Australia lands near the top.

Is a round-the-world ticket cheaper than booking separate flights?

Usually. The same flights bought one at a time often cost 30 to 50 percent more than a well-built round-the-world ticket, because the ticket combines fare rules across airlines in ways consumer booking sites can’t. A single ticket also helps with the onward-travel proof some countries ask for at the border.

How much does it cost to fly around the world in business class?

Usually $8,000 to $20,000 per person. Our business class sample routes started between $7,936 and $15,280 at the last price check. Flying business on the long overnight legs and economy on the short hops typically saves 30 to 40 percent.