Misawa housing and COLA at a glance
Misawa (AO), Japan (DoD locality JP023).
An E-5 with dependents can rent up to $1,348 a month (200,000 JPY) and receives $755 for utilities and maintenance, $2,102 a month in total OHA at the ceiling. 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 (JPY) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-2 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-3 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-4 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-5 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-6 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-7 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-8 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| E-9 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| W-1 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| W-2 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| W-3 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| W-4 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| W-5 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| O-1E | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| O-2E | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| O-3E | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| O-1 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| O-2 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| O-3 | $1,348 | $1,213 | 200,000 JPY |
| O-4 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| O-5 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
| O-6 | $1,497 | $1,348 | 222,222 JPY |
Utilities and move-in
- Utility/recurring maintenance allowance: $755 a month with dependents, $566 without (112,012 JPY with dependents).
- Move-in housing allowance (MIHA) miscellaneous: $441, paid once when you sign a lease (65,477 JPY).
Rent ceilings effective 16 July 2026. Converted at DTMO's pay-system rate of 1 JPY = $0.006738 (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 Misawa
DTMO lists no cost-of-living allowance is currently paid at this location. Indices are reset throughout the year; check the OCONUS COLA calculator for the current value.
How Misawa compares
Its E-5 rent ceiling ranks 12th of 33 in Japan.
Where the ceiling steps up with rank (with dependents): enlisted $1,348 for E-1 to E-8, then $1,497 at E-9 (+$149); officers $1,348 for O-1 to O-3, then $1,497 from O-4 to O-6 (+$149). 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 $2,102 a month here in OHA 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
Exchange rate: DTMO's pay-system rate was 1 JPY = $0.00624 on July 16, 2026 and $0.006738 on October 1, 2026 (+8.0%). The E-5 ceiling of 200,000 JPY is worth $1,348 today against $1,248 then, so the dollar amount on your LES rose by $100 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 Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Atsugi | $1,482 | 106 |
| Camp Fuji | $1,288 | 104 |
| Camp Zama | $1,797 | 106 |
| ETA Jima Island | $1,146 | 104 |
| Gifu | $856 | 114 |
| Hamamatsu | $1,247 | 114 |
| Hyakuri AB | $658 | 114 |
| Iwakuni | $1,098 | 104 |
| Kamiseya | $1,415 | 106 |
| Kawasaki | $1,550 | 112 |
| Kichijoji | $1,664 | 110 |
| Komaki | $1,045 | 114 |
| Kumamoto | $1,071 | 112 |
| Kure | $1,011 | 104 |
| Kyoto | $1,348 | 114 |
| Nyutabaru AB | $973 | 114 |
| Okinawa | $2,021 | 104 |
| Osaka-Kobe | $2,628 | 114 |
| Other Chiba Pref (Japan) | $1,288 | 110 |
| Other Kanagawa Pref (Japan) | $1,288 | 110 |
| Other Kyoto Pref (Japan) | $973 | 118 |
| Other Locations (Japan) | $1,011 | 102 |
| Other Saitama Pref (Japan) | $1,288 | 110 |
| Other Tokyo Pref (Japan) | $1,288 | 110 |
| Sapporo | $737 | 114 |
Plus 7 more in the Japan 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.