United States
For anyone not paid in dollars, the question is always the same: how strong is the dollar this year?
Flat. The currency is your own; local prices rose +3.5%.
- Lean
- $94
- Comfort
- $471
Ranked 80 of 99.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
United States costs US-dollar travelers about the same as a year ago in real terms (0.0%). A mid-range day costs about $209 per person, excluding international flights. The US State Department does not rate its own country, so a baseline Level 1 is used, and it ranks 80 of 99 on the Trip Arbitrage Index with a score of 52 out of 100.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 50
- Price floor ×0.30
- 3
- Safety ×0.20
- 100
- Ease ×0.14
- 93
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | 0.0% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | 0.0% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | 0.0% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +3.5% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | 0.0% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 1 | Normal precautions |
| Ease of travel | 4.7 / 5 | Effortless |
- National parks on a single annual pass
- Cheap gas and long road trips
- Diner breakfasts and big portions
Lodging, car rental, tipping and sales tax push real costs well above sticker prices, and health care without insurance is ruinous. The State Department does not rate its own country; the level shown is a baseline.
For US-dollar earners there is no exchange-rate effect. For everyone else, this page tracks the dollar.
When to go
November is shoulder season- Janoff
- Feboff
- Marshoulder
- Aprpeak
- Maypeak
- Junpeak
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Seppeak
- Octpeak
- Novshoulder
- Decoff
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 1: Normal precautions
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Effortless · 4.7 / 5
Cities in United States
- New York$335a day
Head to head
- United States vs Canada$170a day there
United States, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in United States?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in United States costs about $94 on a lean budget, $209 mid-range and $471 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate.
- Is United States cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- It is about the same. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved 0.0% for US-dollar holders while prices in United States rose +3.5%, a net real change of 0.0% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, United States is 0.0% cheaper.
- Is United States safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department does not issue an advisory for the United States; this index uses a baseline Level 1. Lodging, car rental, tipping and sales tax push real costs well above sticker prices, and health care without insurance is ruinous. The State Department does not rate its own country; the level shown is a baseline. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit United States?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are March, November. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in April, May, June, September, October. November is shoulder season.
- How easy is United States to travel around?
- United States scores 4.7 out of 5 for ease of travel (effortless), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. For anyone not paid in dollars, the question is always the same: how strong is the dollar this year?
Elsewhere in North America
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, United States reads 0.0% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $209. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.