iGotTripLondon Budget vs Standard vs Comfortable
Should you go budget, standard, or comfortable for your 5-day London trip? Here's a side-by-side comparison for 2 travelers — total cost, per-person, and where each style spends differently.
Style Comparison at a Glance
£1,990
£995 per person
£398 per day
Capsule hotels, street food, free attractions. Best for backpackers and value hunters.
£3,467
£1,734 per person
£693 per day
Business hotels, sit-down meals, paid attractions. The balanced default for most travelers.
£6,805
£3,402 per person
£1,361 per day
4-star hotels, fine dining, taxis for convenience. Best for special occasions.
Full Comparison Table
| Metric | Budget | Standard | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | £1,990 | £3,467 | £6,805 |
| Per person | £995 | £1,734 | £3,402 |
| Per day | £398 | £693 | £1,361 |
| Buffer (10%) | £181 | £315 | £888 |
Based on a 5-day London trip for 2 travelers. All amounts in GBP.
Category Breakdown by Style
| Category | Budget | Standard | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | £869 | £1,343 | £2,528 |
| Accommodation | £253 | £537 | £948 |
| Food | £300 | £593 | £1,106 |
| Transport | £111 | £174 | £332 |
| Activities | £174 | £332 | £672 |
| Cafe | £103 | £174 | £332 |
| Shopping | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Buffer | £181 | £315 | £888 |
The biggest swings between styles are typically accommodation and food — flights stay roughly the same.
Which Style Is Right for You?
Choose Budget if…
- You'd rather spend on experiences than a fancy room.
- You're comfortable with capsule hotels or hostels.
- Street food and convenience-store meals sound great.
- You're a backpacker, student, or value-maximizer.
Choose Standard if…
- You want a clean private room near transit.
- Sit-down meals matter, but fine dining doesn't.
- You'll visit paid attractions and museums.
- This is a normal vacation, not a once-in-a-lifetime splurge.
Choose Comfortable if…
- You want a 4-star hotel in a prime location.
- Fine dining and reservations are part of the fun.
- Taxis beat navigating transit with luggage or kids.
- It's a honeymoon, anniversary, or special occasion.
Tip: you don't have to pick one style for everything. Open the calculator, start from standard, then nudge individual categories up or down.
Open in Calculator →London Travel Style FAQ
Is this budget accurate?
It's a reference estimate based on typical category prices by travel style. Actual costs vary with season, exchange rate, and personal habits. Use it as a starting point and edit any line.
How is the budget calculated?
We multiply per-night accommodation by (days - 1), per-day categories by total days, and flight by travelers. A buffer percentage is added as a separate category.
Are flights included?
Yes — a preset round-trip flight per person is included. You can edit the amount to match your actual booking.
Is my data stored when I share?
No server storage. The budget is encoded into the URL hash. Anyone with the link sees the same numbers. Don't enter personal information.
Can I export to Excel?
Yes. Click the Excel button to download a .xlsx file with summary and category breakdown.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, the planner is mobile-first and works in any modern mobile browser.
Do I need to log in?
No login required. The tool runs entirely in your browser.
How much does a London trip cost?
A 5-day standard-style London trip for 2 runs about £3,467 total. London is among the priciest cities we cover — accommodation is the dominant cost, so booking 2-3 months out matters.
Are London museums really free?
Yes — the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern, National Gallery, V&A, and Science Museum are all free to enter, funded publicly. Special exhibitions charge, but the permanent collections are genuinely free.
Should I get an Oyster card or just tap?
Just tap a contactless card or phone — TfL applies the same daily and weekly caps as Oyster automatically, and you avoid the £7 card fee. Avoid paper single tickets, which cost far more.
What's the cheapest way to eat in London?
The supermarket meal deal — a main, snack, and drink for about £3.50-£6 at Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S, or Waitrose — is a London institution. Borough Market and Brick Lane offer great £8-12 lunches. Pubs do pie-and-a-pint deals midweek.
What's the difference between budget and standard in London?
Budget (~£1,700 for 5 days, 2 people) means a hostel or budget hotel in Zone 2-3, meal-deal lunches, and free museums. Standard (~£3,467) adds a central Zone-1 hotel and pub dinners. Accommodation is the dominant cost jump.
Is comfortable style worth it in London?
Comfortable (~£6,500) gets you a South Bank or Soho 4-star, a West End premium show, and Borough Market feasts. Worth it if you value location; the free museums and parks mean standard still delivers a full experience.
Can I mix styles per category?
Yes — set 'standard' as your base, then push accommodation to comfortable (central London location is everything) while keeping food budget via meal deals and markets. Activities stay cheap thanks to free museums.