Bonn housing and COLA at a glance
Bonn (incl Koln/Bonn Airport) (NRW), Germany (DoD locality DE501). DTMO files these places under the same locality, so the same rates apply: Koln/Bonn Airport, Bonn Airport, Koln.
An E-5 with dependents can rent up to $2,018 a month (1,703 EUR) and receives $1,184 for utilities and maintenance, $3,201 a month in total OHA at the ceiling. With two dependents and 6 years of service, COLA adds about $1,291 a month. Both are tax-free.
OHA rent ceilings for every grade
OHA reimburses your actual rent up to the ceiling for your grade, so renting below it means a smaller payment, not money kept. Without dependents, the ceiling is 90% of the with-dependents figure.
| Grade | With deps | Without deps | Ceiling (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,756 | $1,580 | 1,482 EUR |
| E-2 | $1,756 | $1,580 | 1,482 EUR |
| E-3 | $1,756 | $1,580 | 1,482 EUR |
| E-4 | $1,756 | $1,580 | 1,482 EUR |
| E-5 | $2,018 | $1,816 | 1,703 EUR |
| E-6 | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| E-7 | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| E-8 | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| E-9 | $2,732 | $2,459 | 2,306 EUR |
| W-1 | $2,017 | $1,816 | 1,703 EUR |
| W-2 | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| W-3 | $2,732 | $2,459 | 2,306 EUR |
| W-4 | $2,732 | $2,459 | 2,306 EUR |
| W-5 | $2,764 | $2,488 | 2,333 EUR |
| O-1E | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| O-2E | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| O-3E | $2,732 | $2,459 | 2,306 EUR |
| O-1 | $2,017 | $1,816 | 1,703 EUR |
| O-2 | $2,017 | $1,816 | 1,703 EUR |
| O-3 | $2,293 | $2,063 | 1,935 EUR |
| O-4 | $2,732 | $2,459 | 2,306 EUR |
| O-5 | $2,764 | $2,488 | 2,333 EUR |
| O-6 | $2,764 | $2,488 | 2,333 EUR |
Utilities and move-in
- Utility/recurring maintenance allowance: $1,184 a month with dependents, $888 without (999 EUR with dependents).
- Move-in housing allowance (MIHA) miscellaneous: $788, paid once when you sign a lease (665 EUR).
Rent ceilings effective 16 July 2026. Converted at DTMO's pay-system rate of 1 EUR = $1.184834 (October 1, 2026). DTMO revises it on the 1st and 16th of each month, so the dollar amount moves even when the ceiling does not.
COLA in Bonn
The COLA index here is 144 (effective October 1, 2026), meaning goods and services cost about 44% more than in the U.S. COLA is paid on top of base pay and OHA. Estimated monthly COLA by grade and number of dependents:
| Grade (YOS) | No deps | 1 dep | 2 deps | 3 deps | 4 deps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-3 (2 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| E-4 (4 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| E-5 (6 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| E-6 (10 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| E-7 (14 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| E-8 (18 yrs) | $1,244 | $1,313 | $1,382 | $1,451 | $1,521 |
| E-9 (22 yrs) | $1,403 | $1,480 | $1,558 | $1,636 | $1,714 |
| W-2 (8 yrs) | $1,162 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,355 | $1,420 |
| O-2 (3 yrs) | $1,205 | $1,271 | $1,338 | $1,405 | $1,472 |
| O-3 (6 yrs) | $1,323 | $1,397 | $1,470 | $1,544 | $1,617 |
| O-4 (12 yrs) | $1,515 | $1,599 | $1,683 | $1,767 | $1,851 |
| O-5 (18 yrs) | $1,693 | $1,787 | $1,881 | $1,975 | $2,069 |
| O-6 (22 yrs) | $1,855 | $1,958 | $2,061 | $2,164 | $2,267 |
Estimates use 2026 base pay at the years of service shown and DTMO's spendable-income table (CY2026 tables (effective Feb 1, 2026)). COLA = spendable income × (index − 100) ÷ 100 ÷ 12. Members without dependents living in government quarters receive a reduced rate. Run your exact grade, years of service and dependents in the OCONUS COLA calculator.
How Bonn compares
The COLA index of 144 is the 22nd-highest of 64 Germany localities DTMO prices for OHA, and in the top 13% of the 624 locations worldwide that pay COLA.
Its E-5 rent ceiling ranks 18th of 64 in Germany.
Where the ceiling steps up with rank (with dependents): enlisted $1,756 for E-1 to E-4, $2,018 at E-5 (+$262), $2,293 from E-6 to E-8 (+$275), and $2,732 at E-9 (+$439); officers $2,017 for O-1 to O-2, $2,293 at O-3 (+$276), $2,732 at O-4 (+$439), and $2,764 from O-5 to O-6 (+$32). A promotion that lands before you sign a lease raises what you can rent.
At the ceiling, an E-5 with two dependents draws about $4,492 a month here in OHA and COLA combined, tax-free. The same member receives $2,061 in BAH at the median U.S. housing area. Treat that as a rough guide: OHA pays your actual rent rather than a flat amount, and COLA exists because everyday prices here run higher.
How these rates have moved
The COLA index is 144 (October 1, 2026), the same as on December 1, 2025, though it ranged from 142 to 146 in the months between.
| Effective | COLA index | E-5, 2 deps* |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | 144 | $1,291 |
| July 16, 2026 | 142 | $1,232 |
| June 1, 2026 | 144 | $1,291 |
| May 1, 2026 | 146 | $1,349 |
| December 1, 2025 | 144 | $1,291 |
*Monthly COLA at 2026 base pay (6 years of service), so the column isolates the effect of the index.
Exchange rate: DTMO's pay-system rate was 1 EUR = $1.16117 on July 16, 2026 and $1.184834 on October 1, 2026 (+2.0%). The E-5 ceiling of 1,703 EUR is worth $2,018 today against $1,977 then, so the dollar amount on your LES rose by $40 a month without the ceiling itself changing.
From DTMO's published COLA indices and OHA exchange rates as recorded by this site each pay period.
Other Germany localities
E-5 with dependents. Your OHA follows the locality of your duty station, so these apply only if you are assigned there.
| Locality | OHA rent ceiling | COLA index |
|---|---|---|
| ALL Other Landstates | $1,481 | 128 |
| Ansbach | $1,366 | 132 |
| Augsburg | $2,066 | 144 |
| Babenhausen | $2,390 | 128 |
| Bamberg | $1,185 | 120 |
| Baumholder | $1,718 | 128 |
| Berlin | $2,725 | 152 |
| Borgholzhausen | $2,237 | 128 |
| Bremerhaven | $1,698 | 150 |
| Buedingen | $1,814 | 128 |
| Cologne | $2,018 | 144 |
| Darmstadt | $2,488 | 128 |
| Dexheim | $2,133 | 128 |
| Erding | $1,283 | 144 |
| Erlensee | $1,814 | 128 |
| Frankfurt AM Main | $2,297 | 146 |
| Freiburg | $1,579 | 150 |
| Garmisch | $2,083 | 126 |
| Geilenkirchen | $1,968 | 144 |
| Giebelstadt | $1,336 | 128 |
| Giessen | $1,419 | 128 |
| Goettingen | $1,007 | 150 |
| Grafenwoehr & Vilseck | $2,303 | 120 |
| Hamburg | $2,690 | 150 |
| Hanau | $1,814 | 128 |
Plus 38 more in the Germany list.
Using these numbers
- Your exact OHA by grade and dependents: OHA calculator. Your exact COLA: OCONUS COLA calculator.
- Planning the move: PCS calculator for DLA, per diem and weight allowance.
- Coming home: COLA stops the day you leave. The COLA trap shows how to plan for it.
Sources: DTMO OHA rate tables and OCONUS COLA indices, refreshed each pay period. Estimates for planning; your finance office's figure is the one that pays.