Taejon housing and COLA at a glance
Taejon, Korea (DoD locality KR047).
An E-5 with dependents can rent up to $1,002 a month (1,312,887 KRW) and receives $815 for utilities and maintenance, $1,817 a month in total OHA at the ceiling. With two dependents and 6 years of service, COLA adds about $176 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 (KRW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $992 | $893 | 1,300,000 KRW |
| E-2 | $992 | $893 | 1,300,000 KRW |
| E-3 | $992 | $893 | 1,300,000 KRW |
| E-4 | $992 | $893 | 1,300,000 KRW |
| E-5 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| E-6 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| E-7 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| E-8 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| E-9 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| W-1 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| W-2 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| W-3 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| W-4 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| W-5 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| O-1E | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| O-2E | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| O-3E | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| O-1 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| O-2 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| O-3 | $1,002 | $902 | 1,312,887 KRW |
| O-4 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| O-5 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
| O-6 | $1,672 | $1,505 | 2,191,650 KRW |
Utilities and move-in
- Utility/recurring maintenance allowance: $815 a month with dependents, $611 without (1,068,238 KRW with dependents).
- Move-in housing allowance (MIHA) miscellaneous: $295, paid once when you sign a lease (386,676 KRW).
Rent ceilings effective 01 July 2026. Converted at DTMO's pay-system rate of 1 KRW = $0.000763 (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 Taejon
The COLA index here is 106 (effective October 1, 2026), meaning goods and services cost about 6% 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) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| E-4 (4 yrs) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| E-5 (6 yrs) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| E-6 (10 yrs) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| E-7 (14 yrs) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| E-8 (18 yrs) | $170 | $179 | $189 | $198 | $207 |
| E-9 (22 yrs) | $191 | $202 | $213 | $223 | $234 |
| W-2 (8 yrs) | $158 | $167 | $176 | $185 | $194 |
| O-2 (3 yrs) | $164 | $173 | $183 | $192 | $201 |
| O-3 (6 yrs) | $180 | $190 | $201 | $211 | $221 |
| O-4 (12 yrs) | $207 | $218 | $230 | $241 | $252 |
| O-5 (18 yrs) | $231 | $244 | $257 | $269 | $282 |
| O-6 (22 yrs) | $253 | $267 | $281 | $295 | $309 |
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 Taejon compares
The COLA index of 106 is the 13th-highest of 18 Korea localities DTMO prices for OHA, and in the bottom 7% of the 624 locations worldwide that pay COLA.
Its E-5 rent ceiling ranks 18th of 18 in Korea, the lowest in the country.
Where the ceiling steps up with rank (with dependents): enlisted $992 for E-1 to E-4, $1,002 from E-5 to E-8 (+$10), and $1,672 at E-9 (+$670); officers $1,002 for O-1 to O-3, then $1,672 from O-4 to O-6 (+$670). 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 $1,993 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 has moved from 102 (June 1, 2026) to 106 (September 1, 2026). At 2026 pay, that is +$117 a month for an E-5 with two dependents.
| Effective | COLA index | E-5, 2 deps* |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | 106 | $176 |
| August 16, 2026 | 104 | $117 |
| June 1, 2026 | 102 | $59 |
*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 KRW = $0.000678 on June 16, 2026 and $0.000763 on October 1, 2026 (+12.5%). The E-5 ceiling of 1,312,887 KRW is worth $1,002 today against $890 then, so the dollar amount on your LES rose by $112 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 Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Camp Casey (Dongducheon) | $1,238 | 106 |
| Camp Humphreys & Osan AB | $1,441 | 116 |
| Camp Yongin | $1,238 | 116 |
| Chunchon | $1,190 | 116 |
| Daegu & Camp Carroll | $1,297 | 114 |
| Inchon | $1,611 | 116 |
| Kimhae | $1,696 | 122 |
| Kunsan AB | $1,251 | 106 |
| Kwanju AB | $1,190 | 106 |
| Munsan | $1,055 | 106 |
| Other (Korea) | $1,190 | 114 |
| Pusan | $1,696 | 122 |
| Seoul (K-16Fld/C.Mercer/Site Tango & 33) | $2,690 | 112 |
| Suwon | $1,356 | 116 |
| Uijungbu | $1,434 | 114 |
| Unified Changwon City (Chinhae, Changwon, Masan) | $1,102 | 110 |
| Weonju | $1,030 | 106 |
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.