Per Diem Calculator

How per diem is calculated

Lodging, per night, by month

You receive a lodging cap for each night you stay over. In major cities the cap changes month to month, so a summer trip can cost far more than a winter one.

M&IE, per day

A flat daily allowance covers meals and incidental expenses. Unlike lodging, M&IE does not change by season — only by location.

75% on travel days

The first and last day of any trip reimburse M&IE at 75% of the daily rate, since you are only traveling part of the day.

A naive estimate of daily rate × days overstates short trips and ignores seasonality. The calculator above applies all three rules to every trip.

Who uses this

Travel nurses & clinicians

Tax-free housing and meal stipends are capped at the GSA per diem for your assignment location. Switch to Travel nurse mode to see your weekly and monthly tax-free cap.

Insurance & CAT adjusters

Multi-week deployments run on per diem. Get an accurate, defensible trip total before you file expenses.

Finance & SMB travel

GSA rates are the benchmark most company travel policies set their caps against. Use them to size reimbursements and budgets.

Per diem rates by state

Browse FY2026 lodging and M&IE rates for every U.S. state and city.

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Frequently asked questions

What is the GSA per diem rate for 2026?
The standard FY2026 CONUS per diem rate is $178 per day — $110 for lodging plus $68 for meals and incidental expenses (M&IE). Roughly 300 "non-standard" areas (major cities and seasonal destinations) have higher rates set by the U.S. General Services Administration.
How is per diem calculated for a trip?
Per diem is the sum of a nightly lodging cap for each night you stay over plus a daily M&IE allowance for each day you travel. Lodging is billed at the rate for that night's calendar month, and the first and last day of travel are reimbursed at 75% of the daily M&IE rate.
What is the M&IE first and last day rule?
On the first and last day of a trip you receive 75% of the location's daily M&IE rate, not the full amount, because you are only traveling for part of the day. For the standard $68 M&IE rate that is $51 on each travel day.
Does the lodging per diem rate change by season?
Yes. In non-standard areas the lodging cap varies by month. New York City, for example, ranges from $179 per night in winter to $342 in autumn for FY2026. M&IE does not change by season — only lodging does.
Are travel nurse stipends capped at the GSA per diem rate?
Yes. Tax-free housing and meal stipends paid to travel nurses are capped at the GSA per diem rate for the assignment location. A stipend at or below the GSA rate is tax-free; any amount above it is treated as taxable wages.
Is the per diem rate data official and free?
Yes. This calculator uses the official GSA Per Diem API published by the U.S. General Services Administration at open.gsa.gov. The rates are free, authoritative, and updated once per federal fiscal year (effective each October 1).