How much do you need to travel in the US?

Is it expensive to travel in the US?

Are you planning to go and travel to the United States? If so, then there are a few things that you need to know first. To be specific, you need to acquaint yourself with the necessary expenses and total budget to achieve your plan. To do this, you need to consider several factors that will play a part in your visit. We’re going to help you to understand how much you need to travel in the US.

Note that before you make a whole budget plan for your trip, make sure that you’re all set for your visa. May it be a K1 visa US or others, we recommend working with a tourist immigration lawyer to speed up the process.

Visa fees

The first and most crucial expense that you have to allocate for is visa fees. The specific costs will depend on the kind of visa and what country you’re getting it from. For instance, here is an overview of the most common types of visas and how much they cost in US dollars as of November 2021:

• K1 Visa – For fiancés; $2,025
• Tourist Visa – For short-term visits with no specific purpose; $160
• Student Visa – For educational stays; $510
• Work Visa – For work, business, and investment purposes; $190
• Family Visits Visa – For visitations of immediate families; $325

As you can see, the fee can either be affordable or expensive, depending on what you’re applying for. The said payments also don’t include printing documents, processing fees, transportation costs, and other things you may need throughout the application process.

Flight tickets

Once you already have a fully-approved visa, you should now take the prices of flight tickets bound to the US. Again, this will vary depending on the specific state you want to visit and where you are from. The currency should also be considered. For instance, a flight ticket to Los Angeles may slightly be lower than that of San Francisco.

To get an accurate quote for this, check in with your local airports. You can also easily look these up online, so you won’t have to worry about the hassle of going back and forth to the said establishment.

Daily living expenses

Once all your pre-arrival expenses are taken care of, you now have to think about how you can survive in the US throughout your stay. Specifically, we’re talking about the necessary daily living expenses like food and water. Accommodation and transportation are also included here, but we’ll have separate sections for these later on.

According to statistics, you need to allot $45, on average, for meals per person. This is throughout the day. Hence, suppose that you are travelling alone, then staying for one week will cost you $315 for food and drinks.

Make sure to allot an allowance for snacks in between meals so that you won’t run short.

Accommodation

Another one of your daily needs involves accommodation. The cost will depend on the kind of hotel that you will stay in. Some also opt for Airbnb, which is much more recommended if you have the budget.

For hotels, expect that it will come around $90 per night. It will come up to $630 for a one-week stay. Expect it to be pricier, though, if you’re staying in a 5-star hotel.

On the other hand, Airbnbs can cost about $110 per night. This means $770 for one week.

Transportation

When travelling around the cities of the US, expect an average daily spend amounting to $150. Of course, this will depend on how often and how much you plan on exploring the state.

Some transportation modes that you may spend on are rental cars ($18 to $50) and public transportations like bus, taxi, and cruise. The latter can range from as low as $15 to as high as $50. You also have to take other fees like the toll roads and parking fees into account.

Other expenses

Lastly, you need to consider the expenses that you will incur in terms of entertainment, spontaneous wants, and others. This is where the money that you’ll spend on tourist attractions, establishment entrance fees, and likes.

Summary

The exact amount of money that you need to travel in the US will depend on a lot of factors. Specifically, you should take your currency, current flight rates, required visa fees, and likes. The time that you’ll spend in the said country will also play a big part. Not only that, but you will surely face some spontaneous purchases at some point.

Hence, expect that you’ll only get an estimate at best. Doing so yourself may not get you the most accurate quote, so consider getting an immigration lawyer to work with. This will ensure a more efficient process.