Is camping really cheaper than a hotel?

A campsite pitch nearly always costs less than a hotel room, but camping means buying a tent, sleeping bags and mats. This calculator spreads the gear cost over every night you will use it and compares the cost of a trip in a hotel with one at a campsite, showing the saving per trip and per year and after how many nights the gear pays for itself.

How the calculation works

• Hotel: price per night × nights per trip.
• Gear share: gear cost divided by all planned nights, that is nights per trip × trips per year × years the gear lasts.
• Camping: (pitch + gear share) × nights per trip.
• Break-even: gear cost divided by the difference between hotel and pitch per night.

The comparison covers accommodation only: travel, food and activities are assumed to be the same in both options. Values are in whatever currency you enter.

Examples for a 7-night trip

Gear costing 400 used for 2 trips a year over 5 years, or about 5.71 a night:

The more you use it, the less it costs per night

The same 400 of gear with different use:

For a single weekend in a tent, new gear weighs heavily; over a few holidays a year for several years its share becomes small. Borrowing or renting for the first trips lowers the risk of paying for gear you hardly use.

The reading bands

• Camping not cheaper: the gear share or the pitch price cancels out the advantage.
• Saving under 15%: a small difference.
• 15% to 40%: a real saving.
• Over 40%: a clear saving.

What the calculation leaves out

Camping often lets you cook and save on meals, but it can bring extra costs: pitch electricity, token showers, replacement gear. Hotels usually include cleaning, a private bathroom and sometimes breakfast. Weigh the financial comparison together with comfort, weather and the kind of holiday you want.

Frequently asked questions

Is camping cheaper than a hotel?

Usually per night, but you have to count the gear: with a hotel at 90, a pitch at 30 and 400 of gear used 14 nights a year for 5 years, you save about 380 on a 7-night trip.

After how many nights does the gear pay for itself?

Gear cost divided by the difference between hotel and pitch per night: with 400, 90 and 30 about 7 nights.

Why count years of use?

Because the gear lasts many trips: spreading its cost over all nights gives its real share per night.

What if I only use the gear once?

The share per night becomes high and camping may cost more than a hotel: the calculator flags it.

Does it include food and travel?

No, accommodation only: if you cook while camping and save on meals, the real advantage is bigger.

What do I enter as the hotel price?

The price of the whole room per night, for everyone travelling.

What about campervans or cabins?

You can use the calculator with the price of the cabin or campervan pitch and the cost of the related gear.

Does it work with any currency?

Yes: enter every price in the same currency.