Seoul (K-16Fld/C.Mercer/Site Tango & 33) housing and COLA at a glance
Seoul (K-16Fld/C.Mercer/Site Tango & 33), Korea (DoD locality KR140). DTMO files this place under the same locality, so the same rates apply: Camp Mercer.
An E-5 with dependents can rent up to $2,690 a month (3,525,320 KRW) and receives $815 for utilities and maintenance, $3,505 a month in total OHA at the ceiling. With two dependents and 6 years of service, COLA adds about $352 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 | $2,467 | $2,220 | 3,233,333 KRW |
| E-2 | $2,467 | $2,220 | 3,233,333 KRW |
| E-3 | $2,467 | $2,220 | 3,233,333 KRW |
| E-4 | $2,467 | $2,220 | 3,233,333 KRW |
| E-5 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| E-6 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| E-7 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| E-8 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| E-9 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| W-1 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| W-2 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| W-3 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| W-4 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| W-5 | $3,052 | $2,747 | 4,000,000 KRW |
| O-1E | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-2E | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-3E | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-1 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-2 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-3 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-4 | $2,690 | $2,421 | 3,525,320 KRW |
| O-5 | $3,052 | $2,747 | 4,000,000 KRW |
| O-6 | $3,644 | $3,280 | 4,776,000 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 Seoul (K-16Fld/C.Mercer/Site Tango & 33)
The COLA index here is 112 (effective October 1, 2026), meaning goods and services cost about 12% 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) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| E-4 (4 yrs) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| E-5 (6 yrs) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| E-6 (10 yrs) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| E-7 (14 yrs) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| E-8 (18 yrs) | $339 | $358 | $377 | $396 | $415 |
| E-9 (22 yrs) | $383 | $404 | $425 | $446 | $468 |
| W-2 (8 yrs) | $317 | $334 | $352 | $370 | $387 |
| O-2 (3 yrs) | $329 | $347 | $365 | $383 | $402 |
| O-3 (6 yrs) | $361 | $381 | $401 | $421 | $441 |
| O-4 (12 yrs) | $413 | $436 | $459 | $482 | $505 |
| O-5 (18 yrs) | $462 | $487 | $513 | $539 | $564 |
| O-6 (22 yrs) | $506 | $534 | $562 | $590 | $618 |
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 Seoul (K-16Fld/C.Mercer/Site Tango & 33) compares
The COLA index of 112 is the 11th-highest of 18 Korea localities DTMO prices for OHA, and in the bottom 19% of the 624 locations worldwide that pay COLA.
Its E-5 rent ceiling ranks 1st of 18 in Korea, the highest in the country.
Where the ceiling steps up with rank (with dependents): enlisted $2,467 for E-1 to E-4, then $2,690 from E-5 to E-9 (+$223); officers $2,690 for O-1 to O-4, $3,052 at O-5 (+$362), and $3,644 at O-6 (+$592). 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 $3,857 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 104 (January 1, 2026) to 112 (September 1, 2026). At 2026 pay, that is +$235 a month for an E-5 with two dependents.
| Effective | COLA index | E-5, 2 deps* |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | 112 | $352 |
| August 16, 2026 | 110 | $293 |
| June 1, 2026 | 104 | $117 |
| April 16, 2026 | 102 | $59 |
| January 1, 2026 | 104 | $117 |
*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 3,525,320 KRW is worth $2,690 today against $2,390 then, so the dollar amount on your LES rose by $300 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 |
| Suwon | $1,356 | 116 |
| Taejon | $1,002 | 106 |
| 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.