everest trek, how much?

1- about 10-12 US a day
2- about 8-10 US a day
You should budget around 5 US a night for accommodation's

$40 per day is way too much! That is agency price. I don't know the rules about whether you are required to go through an agency. But, DON'T do the package deal unless you want to be pampered. Just hire the porter or guide (both are not needed). Just a porter or a porter/guide is good enough.

#1 above is about right, and that $5 per night when I was there was good for accommodation plus dinner.

#2 above is advertising, so please ignore him. Or anyone who gives website or emails in these public forums. I have my favorite guides, porters, guesthouses, agencies, etc., but only give out emails in private messages.

Usually a Senior licensed guide will cost $15 US per day. $12 for a junior Guide/Porter. $8 to 10 for a Porter if you hire from an agency. They are then responsible to ensure the man has appropriate clothing and footwear for the area and altitude that you will be trekking. Agencies are also required to provide accident, life and medical insurance with an evacuation clause. If you hire from an agency make sure that this is provided. If you hire in Lukla now you will probably pay a minimum of 550 to 600 rupees per day for a Porter and technically you are required to see that he is properly clothed, equipped and insured - that is your responsibility as his employer.

#3: if you consider that the lodging & food costs about $20/ day (that $5 mentioned is only for diner & bed), guide $15 and porter $10 for a total of $45, why is a lump sum of $40/day too much?

So: carry everything yourself: about $20/ day for food & bed. Add $12 if you need a porter who knows a bit of English, total about $35/day including tips. If there are more than one of you, one porter can carry for two trekkers: $28/day/person. For a larger group hire one guide and one porter for each 2 trekkers.

A $40/day deal for a teahouse trek including everything is quite normal anf fair, some can offer $35/day but no lower.

1. I disagree with some of the prices. There is no way I spent $20 per day on food and bed on that trek. Unless prices have increased dramatically in the past 4 years.
   
   2. #6 is more in line with the prices I ran into. But, I discourage anyone from contacting him. It rubs me the wrong way when people give out email addresses and/or websites in the forums. This should be done in private messages.
   
   3. Regarding agency treks, I strongly advise against doing the "package deals" that are out there, which were hinted at above. With these packages, you get all the food and drink you can eat on the treks (not beer or soda, though). The problem is that many foreigners take advantage of this, and much food is wasted. The tourists feel it is their right to order as much food as possible in order to "get their money's worth, even if a lot is wasted. To make matters worse, the guide and/or porter is given a set amount of money (not by the day usually). The more the tourist eats, the less money the hired help has at the end of the trek. This is one point seldom brought out.
   
   4. Related to my third point, PLEASE treat your porter or guide as a human being. I saw many trekkers treating them as just hired help and ordering them around gruffly, as if they were slaves. I brought along chocolate bars and peanuts, which I shared with my porter on a daily basis. And, the third day from Jiri, I found someone selling nak cheese, and I shared slices of this with my porter on a daily basis. To this day, that man and I still email at least once a month. And, my trek was 4 years ago. I made a friend, not hired a slave!

In 2000 we made notes about the costs (group of 8) and the average food&bed cost on 23 day EBC trek was 14.5 USD/day. Value of $ has come down some since then.

Last year on AC the costs were €21 for two/day, which corresponds to $28/2 = $14/day/person. So Burntfoot is maybe right, but that $5 is easily used on beer & coke. And people eat differently. I like to advise to calculate $20/day as this should be enough for all with no nasty surprises.

On points 3 and 4 #8 makes I agree. I have been on a "package trek" once in -98 and it was kind of annoying and ebarrassing that the guide run out of money one week before the trek ended and we had to lend him some.

$40 a day!!!! No way - rip off. 50 - 100 NRS a night for lodge, Dhal Bhat - no more than 250 NRS a meal, water 180 NRS MAX a bottle (bring filter). Main expense is beer!! But try and stick to cider/rice drink (can't remember name) and it's about 60 NRS a litre... I spent £100 GBP ($200) for 10 days last year and that was maxing out on the beer and water.

#10: did you forget that $40/day includes porter/guide? We have more or less agreed that food & lodging cost about $15/day.

Just a note on prices from earlier years. The Nepali Rupee was re-valued upwards by 10% against the US$ earlier this year so prices in US$ fro earlier years wqill need to be increased by 10% to allow for this.