OHA Calculator 2026
Overseas Housing Allowance for 319 cities and installations across 23 countries. Rates come straight from DTMO's published rate tables, current to August 1, 2026.
What was wrong. Until 24 July 2026, the OHA rates on this page were estimates. They were never sourced from DTMO. Some were close; many were not. Ramstein was roughly 26% low, Wiesbaden 67% low, and Yokosuka about 24% high. The errors ran in both directions, so there was no single correction anyone could have applied.
What that could have cost you. If you budgeted a PCS or signed a lease using a figure from this page before 24 July 2026, check it against your LES or the DTMO OHA Rate Lookup. The overstated locations are worth checking first — those made housing look more affordable than it is.
What changed. Every rate is now imported directly from DTMO's published OHA rate tables. Ceilings are stored in local currency, exactly as DoD sets them, and converted using DTMO's own pay-system exchange rate rather than a market rate — that's the rate DFAS actually pays on. The result was checked against DTMO's own OHA calculator and matches to the cent. Exchange rates are cross-checked against a second, independently published DTMO file.
What I can and can't promise. The build now refuses to deploy if OHA data fails its checks, and a rate that looks implausible stops the release rather than reaching this page. That guardrail did not exist before. But OHA moves on the 1st and 16th of every month with the exchange rate, and I'm one person maintaining this. Treat this calculator as a planning tool and confirm anything you're signing against DTMO or your finance office.
— Tyler, milmultiplier.com
What is OHA?
Overseas Housing Allowance is a tax-free monthly payment for service members stationed outside the United States who live in privately leased housing. Unlike BAH, which pays a flat amount you keep regardless of rent, OHA is a reimbursement: you receive your actual rent up to a ceiling set for your grade and location, plus a separate utility allowance. Rent below the ceiling means you receive less. Rent above it comes out of your pocket.
The three parts of OHA
- Rental ceiling — the maximum monthly rent DoD will reimburse, set by pay grade and locality from periodic housing surveys.
- Utility and recurring maintenance allowance — a flat monthly amount for electricity, gas, water and refuse. Paid in full regardless of what you actually spend, and set per country rather than per city.
- Move-in housing allowance (MIHA) — a one-time payment on arrival toward security deposits, required fixtures and agent fees. This calculator shows it alongside your monthly figures.
Why your OHA changes without the ceiling changing
This is the part that surprises most people. DoD sets OHA ceilings in local currency — euros in Germany, yen in Japan, won in Korea. Your ceiling in Kaiserslautern is a euro figure, and it stays put between housing surveys. What moves is the exchange rate: DTMO revises its pay-system rate on the 1st and 16th of every month, and your dollar payment is recalculated each time.
So your OHA can change twice a month while the underlying ceiling hasn't moved at all. That's also why this calculator shows both figures — the local-currency ceiling you'll be negotiating a lease against, and the dollar amount that lands on your LES. One is stable, the other isn't.
US territories work differently. Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas and Guantánamo publish their ceilings directly in dollars, so those figures don't move with exchange rates at all.
With and without dependents
DoD publishes one ceiling per grade, for members with dependents. Without dependents, you receive 90% of the rental ceiling and 75% of the utility allowance. The calculator applies both automatically when you switch the toggle.
OHA vs BAH
OHA is for overseas duty stations. It reimburses actual rent up to a cap and fluctuates with exchange rates. BAH is for stateside locations — a fixed monthly amount by rank and ZIP code that you keep whether your rent is higher or lower. Alaska and Hawaii are overseas moves but still pay BAH, not OHA.
If your family stays in the United States while you're assigned overseas, they typically draw BAH at their US ZIP code while you draw OHA at the without-dependents rate.
Use the BAH Calculator for stateside rates, or the Full Compensation Calculator to see OHA inside your total pay picture.
Where these numbers come from
Every ceiling on this page is imported from DTMO's published OHA rate tables, covering 319 localities across 23 countries. Dollar figures are converted using DTMO's own pay-system exchange rate — the same rate your finance office uses — rather than a market rate, which would disagree with your LES. The output has been checked against DTMO's own OHA calculator and matches to the cent.
Rates move every pay period. Before you sign a lease, confirm your figure on the DTMO OHA Rate Lookup.
Related Overseas Calculators
Service members stationed overseas may also receive OCONUS COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) to offset higher prices for goods and services. Use the OCONUS COLA Calculator to estimate your monthly COLA for 239 locations across 46 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the OHA calculator work?
Choose your country, then your city or installation, then your pay grade and dependency status. The calculator returns the DTMO rental ceiling for that combination, the country's utility allowance, your total monthly OHA, and the one-time move-in housing allowance. Ceilings are shown in both local currency and US dollars.
Why did my OHA change when my rent didn't?
OHA ceilings are set in local currency, but you are paid in dollars. DTMO revises its pay-system exchange rate on the 1st and 16th of every month, and your dollar payment is recalculated each time. Your ceiling can sit unchanged for a year while your monthly payment moves twice a month.
How much OHA do I get without dependents?
You receive 90% of the rental ceiling and 75% of the utility allowance. DoD publishes only the with-dependents ceiling; the two reductions are applied to it separately, so the without-dependents total is not simply 90% of the with-dependents total.
Do I keep the difference if my rent is below the OHA ceiling?
No. OHA reimburses your actual rent up to the ceiling, so if you rent below it you receive less. This is the main difference from BAH, which pays a flat amount you keep regardless. The utility allowance is different again — it is paid in full whatever your actual bills come to.
What is MIHA and do I get it automatically?
Move-in housing allowance is a one-time payment on arrival toward security deposits, required fixtures and agent fees. It is claimed through your housing office rather than paid automatically, and the amount is set per country.
Is OHA taxable?
No. Like BAH, OHA is a non-taxable allowance and does not appear as income on your W-2.
Do Guam and Puerto Rico use OHA or BAH?
OHA. US territories including Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands pay OHA rather than BAH, and their ceilings are published directly in dollars so they do not move with exchange rates. Alaska and Hawaii are the exception: they are overseas moves but still pay BAH.
Where do these OHA rates come from?
DTMO's published OHA rate tables, imported directly and converted at DTMO's own pay-system exchange rate rather than a market rate. Rates change every pay period, so confirm your own figure on the DTMO OHA Rate Lookup before signing a lease.