Military allowance and special pay guide
Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance (OCONUS COLA)
Overseas COLA helps offset differences in non-housing purchasing power. It is separate from Overseas Housing Allowance and can rise or fall while a member remains at the same station.
Overseas COLA helps offset differences in non-housing purchasing power. It is separate from Overseas Housing Allowance and can rise or fall while a member remains at the same station.
COLA is not a housing allowance
Overseas COLA addresses eligible day-to-day goods and services. OHA addresses qualifying overseas housing costs. The two use different inputs and can change independently.
Rate inputs
- Overseas duty location
- Spendable-income amount tied to pay and service factors
- Number of command-sponsored dependents
- Currency exchange rates and local price indexes
Why the amount changes
Exchange rates and price comparisons are updated on schedules that can produce changes during the year. A lower deposit is not necessarily a payroll error; compare the current rate and LES details first.
How to verify an overseas COLA payment
Confirm the location code, dependent count and effective dates used by the pay office. Use the official lookup for an estimate, then treat the LES and servicing finance determination as controlling.
Why overseas COLA can change without a PCS
Currency exchange rates and local price relationships can be updated while a member stays at the same station. A lower or higher LES amount is therefore not automatically an error.
Household inputs also matter. A command-sponsored dependent change or a correction to location data can alter the amount independently from market updates. Compare the official lookup inputs with the personnel record before disputing the rate.
What to verify on the pay record
Use the following items together; a dollar amount without the supporting authority and effective dates is not enough to confirm entitlement.
- Exact overseas location code
- Member and command-sponsored dependent information
- Effective dates of arrival, departure or family change
- Official lookup estimate and LES line
Common questions
Is OCONUS COLA the same as OHA?
No. COLA addresses eligible non-housing purchasing-power differences; OHA addresses qualifying overseas housing costs.
Can the rate change more than once a year?
Yes. Exchange rates and program indexes can produce adjustments during the year.