Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA). Married
members: Based on With or Without Dependents, Pay Grade, and Time In
Service. Single members receive a partial COLA based on Pay Grade and
Time In Service.
The Overseas Cost of Living Allowance is a supplement
designed to equalize purchasing power between members overseas and their
CONUS-based counterparts. The average supplement is $300 per month. The basic
measurement is a comparison of CONUS shopping behavior and the aggregate
shopping behavior at each overseas location. It Impacts 320,000 members at
approximately 600 locations overseas, including Alaska and Hawaii. The current
cost is approx. $1 billion annually.
Basic Allowance for Housing
(BAH):
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). BAH is based on geographic duty
location, pay grade, and dependency status. The intent of BAH is to provide
uniformed service members accurate and equitable housing compensation based on
housing costs in local civilian housing markets, and is payable when government
quarters are not provided.
You can easily determine your COLA and housing
allowances via the DFAS website listed in Quick Links.