General & Any Policy
Travel Insurance Cost Estimator
Estimates based on Squaremouth marketplace pricing data, as reported by Experian.
See what a travel insurance policy is likely to cost, based on your trip cost, your age, and where you are headed.
Data sourced from Squaremouth
Estimated travel insurance cost
$0
How this is calculated
Source: Squaremouth marketplace data, as reported by Experian · Last updated 2026-08-20 · See how we calculate this →
What drives the cost of travel insurance
Travel insurance is priced differently from most other policies on this site: instead of a flat annual premium, it is typically quoted as a percentage of what your trip actually costs.
According to Squaremouth marketplace data reported by Experian, travel insurance generally runs about 4% to 10% of total trip cost, though where you land in that range depends heavily on your age and, to a smaller degree, where you are going.
Age is the single biggest factor. The same Squaremouth data shows travelers age 14 to 29 paying an average rate equal to roughly 4.3% of trip cost, rising only slightly to age 45, then climbing more steeply after that: travelers age 62 to 80 average close to 7.8% of trip cost, and travelers 81 and older average over 11%.
This reflects how insurers actually price the risk, older travelers file more medical claims abroad, and those claims tend to be larger, so the rate curve is not linear with age, it accelerates.
Destination matters too, though less than age does. International trips price higher than domestic ones in the same marketplace data, since international coverage typically includes emergency medical and medical evacuation benefits that a domestic trip usually does not need, your regular health insurance already covers you at home.
Destinations considered higher-risk, whether for medical care access, political stability, or natural disaster exposure, can add meaningfully more on top of a standard international rate, industry reporting puts this as high as 45% more in some cases.
Trip cost itself is the base the whole calculation scales from, and it is worth being precise about what you enter. "Trip cost" for insurance purposes usually means the total prepaid, non-refundable cost you would lose if you had to cancel: flights, hotels, tours, and any other deposits, not just the sticker price of the flight.
Under-insuring your trip cost saves a little on the premium but caps how much you can actually recover if you need to file a cancellation claim.
This estimate is a starting point, not a quote. It cannot price in your trip length, specific destination, any pre-existing medical conditions you want covered, or whether you add "cancel for any reason" coverage, all of which move a real quote meaningfully.
Compare a few actual plans before you buy, since coverage limits and exclusions vary as much between plans as price does.
Frequently asked questions
Why does age affect travel insurance so much?
Older travelers file more medical claims abroad and those claims tend to cost more, so insurers price age into the rate heavily. Marketplace data shows travelers age 81 and up paying roughly two and a half times the rate, as a share of trip cost, that travelers under 30 pay.
Should I buy travel insurance for a domestic trip?
It is optional but still common, mainly for trip cancellation and interruption coverage rather than medical coverage, since your existing health insurance typically works domestically. Domestic policies price lower than international ones on average.
What makes a destination "high-risk" for pricing purposes?
Insurers price up destinations with less accessible or more expensive medical care, higher political or natural disaster risk, or a history of requiring costly medical evacuations. This is a pricing factor, not a travel advisory, check the State Department's travel advisory levels separately for safety guidance.
Is travel insurance cost really based on trip cost, not just destination?
Yes, for most comprehensive plans. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage, the largest piece of most policies, is priced against how much you would lose if the trip fell through, so a more expensive trip costs more to insure even to the same destination.