Skip to content
Event Fellows

Event budget calculator with cost per guest

Fill in what you plan to spend and what you actually paid in each category, and see the total and the cost per guest. The sheet starts empty and stays in this browser.

To get the cost per guest, add up everything planned (or paid) and divide by the number of guests. This page does it as you type, and it has no average prices: the numbers are the ones you enter.

Planned

$0.00

Actual

$0.00

Difference (planned minus actual)

$0.00

Planned cost per guest

—

The percentage is yours: we did not find an open source for one. It is applied to the planned cost of the other rows.

Nothing here leaves your device. Values stay in this browser (key eventfellows:budget:v1) until you press Clear.

How to build an event budget

Category by category, from what you plan to what you paid.

This sheet does not come with prices, because there is no reliable average price for an event: costs change with the city, the date, the number of guests and the supplier, and we found no open source that publishes a figure you could check. Instead the sheet starts empty with seven common categories (venue, food, drinks, sound and AV, decor, staff and contingency). You fill it in with the quotes you receive, rename a category, add rows for anything missing and remove what does not apply.

Each category has two columns. Planned is what you intend to spend, and it is what you use to decide the total before you sign anything. Actual is what you paid, and you fill it in as each invoice arrives. The difference between the two shows where you went over. The first number to compare between events is the cost per guest: the total divided by the number of guests. Enter the guests above the table and the sheet divides for you.

Contingency is a buffer for the things that cost more than quoted or that nobody planned. How large it should be is your decision. If you want the sheet to compute it, type a percentage and press "Fill the contingency row": the percentage is applied to the planned cost of the other rows. When you are done, press "Download CSV" to open the sheet in Excel or Google Sheets, or "Print" for a paper copy.

Worked example, with made-up numbers just to show the math
  1. Suppose 80 guests and these planned costs: venue 2,500; food 3,200; drinks 1,200; sound and AV 400; decor 300.
  2. Total planned: 2,500 + 3,200 + 1,200 + 400 + 300 = 7,600.
  3. Cost per guest: 7,600 ÷ 80 = 95.
  4. If you choose a contingency of 10% of planned, the contingency row is 760, the total becomes 8,360 and the cost per guest 104.50.
  5. If the actual total ends up at 8,000, the difference is 8,360 − 8,000 = 360 under plan.

These amounts are not market prices, and 10% is only an example of a percentage you might pick.

Keeping the budget honest

  • Set the total first, then split it. Ask for written quotes with what is included and the number of guests the price covers.
  • Count guests from replies, not hopes: send the invitation with the calendar invite generator and a reply-by date, then update the guest number.
  • Check quantities before you compare prices: the party food calculator gives a range per guest.
  • Put the payment due dates on the planning timeline so that none arrives as a surprise.

The sheet adds up what you type and does not check prices or taxes. It is not financial advice. Confirm every amount with your suppliers.

Work out the food and drink quantities

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out the cost per guest?

Add up everything planned or paid, then divide by the number of guests. With 7,600 planned and 80 guests, the cost per guest is 95. The calculator shows both the planned and the actual cost per guest.

Why does the budget start empty?

Because there is no honest average price for an event. Costs change with the city, the date, the guest count and the supplier, and we found no open source that publishes a reliable figure. Fill in the quotes you receive.

What should I put under contingency?

A buffer for things that go wrong or cost more than quoted. How big it should be is your decision: we did not find an open source for a percentage, so the field is empty. You can type a percentage and let the page fill the row from your planned costs.

Can I open the budget in Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. Use "Download CSV". The file has one row per category with planned, actual and difference, then the total, the guest count and the cost per guest. Text that begins with =, +, - or @ gets an apostrophe in front so a spreadsheet does not run it as a formula.

Is my budget saved anywhere?

Only in this browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to us. Clear the budget with the button on the page, or clear the site data in your browser.

Keep planning

Each tool covers one stage of the timeline.