Round Cost Calculator: What a Round of Drinks Costs
Planning a night of rounds? Work out what one round costs your group, what the whole night adds up to, and whether everyone ends up buying the same number of rounds.
Why rounds drift out of balance
Rounds are only even when the number of rounds is a multiple of the number of people. Five friends and seven rounds means two people buy twice. Bigger groups make the gap bigger: in a group of eight, buying a round costs eight drinks, so stopping early leaves the last buyers well ahead of the rest.
Example: five friends drinking €4.50 beers. One round costs €22.50. If the night stops after seven rounds, two people have spent €45 and three have spent €22.50, a €22.50 gap that someone usually forgets.
Keeping it fair
- Agree to stop when everyone has bought the same number of rounds, or settle the difference in money at the end.
- In a big group, split into smaller rounds of three or four people.
- If some people drink less or not at all, a split by what each person had is fairer than rounds.
RoundFair does this bookkeeping during the night: it records who paid and who joined each round, shows who is behind, and works out who should pay whom. See turn order and the bill split calculator for one-off bills.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a round of drinks cost?
Multiply the number of people by the average price of a drink. Five people with €4.50 drinks means a €22.50 round.
How do you keep rounds fair in a big group?
Stop when everyone has bought the same number of rounds, split into smaller groups, or settle the difference at the end of the night.