Tools

Per Diem & Travel Comp Time Calculator

This all-in-one U.S. Government Travel Calculator provides tools for both quick cost and detailed travel estimates. To use it, first select a mode: use the "Simple Cost Estimator" by entering a destination, duration, and other known costs for a fast, high-level budget. For a detailed breakdown, select the "Complete Calculator" and navigate to the Per Diem tab to build a multi-leg itinerary and fetch official lodging/M&IE rates.
You can then use the Comp Time tab to input your normal work schedule and detailed flight itinerary to accurately calculate your creditable travel hours, or even send your official per diem itinerary directly over to the comp time calculator.
25 April 2026: Overhauled UI, Complete Reimagined Comp Time and DS-5106 Form Generation, OCONUS Rates Added

About this tool

How the Per Diem and Comp Time Calculator works

This tool does three jobs for official travel. It gives a quick trip cost, a day-by-day per diem estimate, and a comp time worksheet that fills in the DS-5106 form. Rates come from the published per diem tables, and you can check every number before you rely on it.

What you enter

For a quick estimate, a destination, the number of days, the number of travelers, and any airfare or other costs.
For per diem, one leg for each TDY location with its dates, plus a return leg home.
For comp time, your normal work schedule, then the departure, flight, wait and arrival times for each leg.

What you get

The quick estimate shows lodging, meals and incidental expenses, added costs and a total per traveler. The per diem view lists every day with its maximum lodging and M&IE, and it applies the 75 percent M&IE rule to the first and last day of travel for you. The comp time view works out creditable hours, rounded to the nearest quarter hour, and downloads the official DS-5106 with those fields filled in.

Where the numbers come from

Foreign rates from the State Department's per diem file, which is updated each month.
U.S. rates from the General Services Administration, by fiscal year.
Rates for non-foreign locations outside the continental U.S. from the Defense Travel Management Office.
A "Most recent update" date in the tool shows when the rates it reads were last refreshed.

What it leaves out

It estimates maximum rates only, and it doesn't submit a voucher or a form for you. What you're authorized and reimbursed depends on your travel authorization, so check with your travel office. On the DS-5106, add your name and pay period and sign it yourself.

Common questions

Why is the first and last day lower?

The tool applies the 75 percent M&IE rule to the first and last day of travel, as the page says.

Which time zone does the comp time worksheet use?

Times are in the time zone of your official duty station for the trip out and of your last TDY post for the return, as the worksheet says.

Does it work for both foreign and U.S. trips?

Yes. Pick the destination and the tool fetches the rate for that place and those dates.