Tipping Calculator by Country

How much to tip depends on the country: 15–22% in U.S. restaurants and 15–20% in Canada, 10–15% in Mexico and the U.K. (if no service charge), 5–10% or just rounding up across most of Europe, and nothing at all in Japan, China or Iceland. Every figure here is a range from at least two sources, quoted.

How to use it

Pick the country and what you are paying for, a restaurant meal, a taxi, hotel staff or a tour guide, and type the bill or fare in the local currency (or the nights, people or bags). The answer is the customary tip and the total, what each source says in its own words, and the rest of that country’s norms.

Tipping by country

There is no official tipping rate anywhere, so each figure is the range two or more publishers give: Tipping Rules for every country, and for each a second, the country’s tourism board where it says anything (Japan, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia, Aruba), Frommer’s country guides, AFAR, SmarterTravel, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet (its guides to Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania), Canada Guidebook or the Emily Post Institute. Where only one source gives a service a figure, the table says there is no settled figure rather than guess: Dutch taxis and Turkish restaurants among them.

Worked examples

Dinner for two in Rome, €60. €3–€6 on top, €63–€66 in all, unless servizio is already on the bill. Italy’s tourism board: “it is customary to leave an amount close to 10% of the bill when the customer is satisfied with the service received.”

A €13 taxi in Berlin. Pay €14. Rick Steves’ own example: “For a typical ride, round up to the next euro on the fare (to pay a €13 fare, give €14); for a long ride, to the nearest 10 (for a €76 fare, give €80).”

Four nights in Cancún. MX$160–MX$200 for housekeeping, 40 to 50 pesos each time the room is cleaned.

A $85.50 dinner in New York. $12.83–$18.81 at 15–22%, worked out on the bill before tax.

A ₹2,000 dinner in Delhi. ₹200–₹300 on top, ₹2,200–₹2,300 in all: “In India, tipping is customary.”

Ramen in Tokyo. Nothing: “In Japan, it’s not common to tip for services such as those provided in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis, and hotels.”

Common mistakes

• Tipping American-style in Europe. “Please believe me — tipping 15 or 20 percent in Europe is unnecessary, if not culturally ignorant.” And: “In many countries, 5 percent is adequate and 10 percent is considered a nice tip.”
• Tipping twice in London. “First, check the menu or bill to see whether the restaurant automatically adds a service charge (usually in the range of 12.5–15%) for each table.”
• Taking coperto for a tip. In Italy it is a cover charge for the table and the bread; check for servizio instead.
• Adding the tip on the card. “Since most European credit-card slips don’t have a line for adding a tip, plan on tipping in cash.”
• Tipping on the tax in Canada. “The Canadian custom is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, the price of the food and drink before any GST or provincial tax.” In Mexico the IVA line is tax too: “which goes to the government, not the waitstaff.”
• Leaving cash on the table in Japan. Even for a private guide, “It’s worth noting that tipping is not expected and should be done discreetly, even in these cases.”

Plan the trip

For your first trip abroad, read International Travel Tips for First-Timers and, for Japan, the Japan travel guide for first-timers. In Paris, café culture has its own habits; at sea, see first-time cruise tips; and at home, what to tip for free rides in Florida. Then check your trip budget and a cruise’s gratuities.