Per Diem (Diurnă) Calculator

TL;DR

Estimate travel costs using:

• per diem (daily rate × days + partial day)
• lodging (per night × nights)
• other transport costs

Who this is for

• Contractors planning travel budgets for projects.
• Employees estimating travel reimbursement.

How to use it

1. Set daily rate and number of full days.
2. Adjust partial day percent (if you have a half-day rule).
3. Add lodging and transport if needed.
4. Copy summary for email/approval.

What per diem usually covers (and what it doesn’t)

Per diem is typically meant to cover day-to-day travel expenses such as meals and incidental costs. Lodging and major transport costs are often handled separately (depending on your policy or contract).

This calculator keeps those buckets separate so your estimate is easier to approve:

• Per diem (daily allowance)
• Lodging (nights × cost per night)
• Transport (tickets, fuel, tolls, parking)

How to pick a “daily rate”

The correct rate depends on your situation:

• Employment: follow your company reimbursement policy (and any country-specific rules your payroll uses).
• Contracting (B2B): follow your contract with the client (what is reimbursable vs included in rate).
• Mixed: if you’re unsure, use a conservative rate and treat this as a budgeting tool.

Partial days (arrival/departure days)

Many policies treat travel days differently from full days (e.g., half-day per diem). This tool lets you model that with a percentage so you can match how your company/client reimburses.

Domestic vs international travel

If you travel internationally, per diem and reimbursement rules often change:

• different daily rates per country/city
• currency and FX handling
• different receipt requirements

This tool stays generic so you can plug in whatever rate your policy/contract uses.

Practical workflows

Budget request (before travel)

Use the output as a simple “travel budget” summary:

• purpose of travel
• dates (days + nights)
• per diem rate assumptions
• lodging and transport estimates This reduces friction with finance/procurement approvals.

Contractor invoicing

If your contract reimburses travel separately:

• attach the estimate when you request pre-approval
• keep receipts and confirmations
• invoice reimbursables with clear line items

Approval-ready checklist (reduces back-and-forth)

Before you send the estimate for approval, ensure you can answer:

• Why is the travel needed (business purpose)?
• Exact dates (days + nights) and location(s)
• Assumptions (per diem rate, partial day rule, hotel/night cap)
• What will be reimbursed vs included in your base rate

This turns “travel cost” into a predictable line item rather than a surprise expense.

Edge cases & gotchas

• Reimbursement rules differ by company/policy; treat as a planning tool.
• Keep receipts and follow your internal process.
• Currency: if you travel abroad, decide which currency you budget in and how FX is handled.
• If you need “all-in” trip cost, consider adding parking, tolls, and local transport, not just fuel.

FAQ

Is this the legal per diem for Romania?

This tool is for budgeting math. Legal/tax treatment depends on your specific context and up-to-date rules. Confirm with your accountant/HR if you need compliance-level accuracy.

What if my company reimburses meals by receipts instead of per diem?

Set per diem to zero and use lodging/transport fields as needed. Or keep per diem as a cap and track receipts separately.

What next?

Related tools:

• Fuel cost and Route cost estimate for route budgeting
• Compare city costs if you’re planning relocation budget scenarios

Sources

• ANAF: https://www.anaf.ro/

Next steps (IT Jobs List)

For travel, include all real costs (fuel, tolls, parking) and write down assumptions so you can reproduce the calculation.

Related tools

Related guides

• Relocating to Romania (IT): budget checklist and scenarios

Quick recommendation

• Save your assumptions (rates, breaks, thresholds) so you can reproduce the result.
• If you use the output in an invoice/offer, include a short explanation (what’s included and what’s not).

Practical checklist (IT Jobs List)

• Keep assumptions: consumption, price/liter, distance, tolls.
• Compare “cost per km” between routes/providers.
• If you use the result in an estimate/invoice, explain what it includes.