Military PCS Calculator: What the Military Actually Pays You to Move

We're military families ourselves — 127,000+ of us across 115+ installations — and this tool runs on the same official DFAS, DTMO, and Joint Travel Regulations rates your finance office uses. No approximations, no "2x your BAH" shortcuts that other sites get wrong.

What PCS entitlements actually exist (and who gets them)

A single PCS can trigger four separate cash entitlements. Here's the plain-English version of each:

• DLA (Dislocation Allowance) — a one-time, tax-free lump sum to cover the stuff nobody reimburses you for: security deposits, utility hookups, cleaning fees, replacing what broke in transit. Set by rank and dependency status, not by distance.
• MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation) — mileage for driving your own vehicle to the new duty station, paid per authorized POV.
• Per diem — a daily allowance for lodging and meals on your authorized travel days between stations.
• TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense) — reimbursement for hotel and meals while you're between homes at your old or new base.

Moving your own household goods is a separate calculation with its own tool — that's a Personally Procured Move (PPM/DITY). If you're weighing whether to move yourself and pocket the difference, run it through our PPM/DITY calculator, and see our complete DITY/PPM move guide for how the money works. This page is about the entitlements side: what you're owed for relocating, no matter how your stuff gets there.

How much is DLA? 2026 rates by rank

DLA is the biggest single check most families see, and it's the number everyone Googles first. It's a flat amount tied entirely to your pay grade and whether your dependents are relocating with you — a 50-mile move and a 3,000-mile move pay the exact same DLA.

Here are the 2026 Primary DLA rates, effective January 1, 2026:

Pay grade	Without dependents	With dependents
E-1	$1,870.58	$3,548.02
E-2	$2,025.26	$3,548.02
E-3	$2,355.48	$3,548.02
E-4	$2,389.42	$3,548.02
E-5	$2,389.42	$3,548.02
E-6	$2,389.42	$3,548.02
E-7	$2,468.19	$3,551.31
E-8	$2,888.97	$3,824.94
E-9	$3,147.54	$4,149.51
O-1	$2,273.82	$3,085.23
O-2	$2,700.31	$3,451.28
O-3	$3,404.11	$4,041.88
O-4	$4,247.61	$4,885.43
O-5	$4,583.51	$5,542.06
O-6	$4,758.96	$5,749.63

Warrant officers fall between roughly $2,394 and $4,716; O-7 and above top out at $5,187.33 without dependents and $6,385.58 with. A forced local move out of government quarters pays a Partial DLA of $1,002.71. Data last verified: July 2026, from the DoD PDTATAC memo MAP 72-25(I). Confirm your exact figure with your finance office.

Notice something on that table: for enlisted families, every grade from E-1 through E-6 gets the identical $3,548.02 with-dependents rate. A brand-new E-1 with a family and a seasoned E-6 with a family receive the same DLA. That's not a typo — it's how the schedule works.

Want your exact DLA plus MALT, per diem, and TLE stacked into one total? Run the Military PCS Calculator — it pulls your grade and dependency status and does the math in seconds. You can read more about how the allowance works on the official DTMO Dislocation Allowance page.

The gap that quietly costs families money: with vs. without dependents

Look again at that DLA table. For an E-5, the difference between the without-dependents rate and the with-dependents rate is over $1,150. For an O-4, it's more than $600. That gap is real money — and it hinges on one thing: whether your dependents are correctly reflected in your record when finance processes your voucher.

Here's where it goes sideways. If DEERS hasn't caught up — a new baby, a marriage, a dependent who hasn't been added yet — finance can pay you the without-dependents rate, and you'll spend months chasing the difference. Fix DEERS before you file, not after.

Dual-military couples hit a different surprise: if you both PCS to the same location, you receive one DLA at the higher of your two rates, not two separate payments. Both sets of orders look entitled to it, but only one lands. Plan your budget around one.

MALT, per diem, and TLE: the travel money

These three cover the actual trip. They're smaller than DLA individually, but together they add up fast on a long move.

MALT (PCS mileage)

For 2026, MALT pays $0.205 per mile for each authorized vehicle. If you have dependents and both you and your spouse drive separate cars, you can claim mileage for two POVs. The number of passengers doesn't change the rate — it's per vehicle, not per person.

One trap here costs families every year: the mileage is based on the official DTOD (Defense Table of Official Distances) figure between your bases — not your odometer, not Google Maps. Those numbers rarely match. Look up the official distance at the DTOD site before you estimate, and see our PCS mileage reimbursement guide for how it's paid. You can confirm current rates and how MALT settles on the DFAS travel pay page.

Per diem

Per diem covers lodging and meals on your authorized travel days. The member is paid the standard CONUS rate — for FY2026 that's $178 a day ($110 lodging plus $68 meals and incidentals). Dependents are reimbursed at a percentage of your rate: 75% for age 12 and up, 50% for under 12. The military authorizes one travel day per 400 miles of official distance, with a set formula beyond that. Standard CONUS figures live on the GSA per diem page.

TLE

TLE reimburses hotel and meals while you're between homes. For a CONUS move you get up to 21 days combined at your old and new station; OCONUS moves get 7 days. It's paid against your actual lodging receipts up to a daily cap (currently around $290/day CONUS), so keep every receipt — families forget this one and leave four figures on the table.

Here's the part no other calculator will tell you honestly: the estimator gives you a planning number, but your authoritative per diem, MALT, and TLE amounts come straight off your orders in DTS. That's the document finance pays from. The calculator gets you oriented; your orders and finance office give you the final word. Every rate on this page traces back to the Joint Travel Regulations.

Money in vs. money out: will this move actually cost you?

This is the real question, and it deserves a straight answer. The entitlements above are the money in. The money out is deposits, the truck or trailer, fuel, tolls, boxes, cleaning your old place, kenneling the dog, and the two weeks of eating out because your kitchen is in a crate.

For most families, entitlements cover the bulk of a move — but rarely all of it, and almost never on time. DLA can be advanced up to 30 days before you leave if you request it through finance; everything else typically settles after you arrive and file your voucher. So even when the math works out positive on paper, you're floating real cash for weeks.

Our honest rule: whatever the calculator shows as your estimated entitlements, plan to have 20–30% more than your projected out-of-pocket costs sitting in accessible savings before you roll. The families who get burned aren't the ones who came up short overall — they're the ones who ran out of cash in week three waiting on a reimbursement.

If buying at your next base is on the table, your housing math matters too — start with your new 2026 BAH rate, and if you're weighing a purchase, a free VA Home Loan Snapshot shows what your BAH actually covers in that market.

Common mistakes that cost families money

• Not filing for DLA. It isn't automatic. You claim it on your travel voucher (DD Form 1351-2). No claim, no check — nobody hands it to you.
• Letting DEERS lag. An out-of-date record can drop you to the without-dependents rate. Update it before you file.
• Using your odometer instead of DTOD. Finance pays the official distance. Estimate off DTOD or your number will be wrong.
• Skipping TLE receipts. No receipts, no reimbursement — up to 21 CONUS days of lodging and meals gone.
• Assuming a second DLA. You normally get one DLA per fiscal year. A second move in the same year usually doesn't pay again.
• Expecting DLA on your first PCS with no dependents, or on separation/retirement. Those don't qualify.

Run your numbers, then make a plan

Start with the calculator on this page to see what you're owed. Then do the harder part: turning that number into a move that doesn't blow up your budget or your timeline.

That's exactly what our free PCS Plan is built for. Tell us your rank, family size, and where you're headed, and we'll match you with someone who knows that installation — housing, timelines, the whole thing — and can walk you through it before you ever hit the road. It's free, and it's built by military families who've done this more times than we'd like to admit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a military PCS calculator estimate?

It estimates the cash entitlements your PCS triggers: Dislocation Allowance (DLA), MALT mileage for driving your vehicle, per diem for travel days, and Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE). Ours runs on official DoD rates so you get a realistic planning number, then confirms your exact figures come from your orders and finance office.

How much is DLA in 2026?

DLA is a one-time, tax-free payment set by pay grade and dependency status. For 2026 it ranges from $1,870.58 (E-1 without dependents) to $6,385.58 (O-7 and above with dependents). Every enlisted grade E-1 through E-6 receives the same $3,548.02 with-dependents rate. Distance does not affect the amount.

What is the 2026 MALT (PCS mileage) rate?

The 2026 MALT rate is $0.205 per mile for each authorized vehicle. If you have dependents and drive two cars, both can be authorized. Mileage is paid on the official DTOD distance between duty stations, not your odometer reading.

Does a PCS move cost money out of pocket?

Often, at least temporarily. Entitlements usually cover most of a move, but most of the money settles after you arrive and file your voucher, so you front the costs first. Plan to keep 20–30% more than your projected out-of-pocket costs in accessible savings before you leave.

Why is my DLA different with dependents versus without?

The with-dependents rate is higher because it assumes a larger household to relocate. The gap can top $1,000 depending on grade. If your dependents are not correctly listed in DEERS when finance processes your voucher, you can be paid the lower rate — so update DEERS before you file.

Where do my official PCS entitlement numbers come from?

Your authoritative amounts come from your PCS orders in DTS, which your finance office pays from. A calculator gives you a solid planning estimate using published DFAS, DTMO, and JTR rates, but always verify your specific entitlements with finance before making financial decisions.

Key Takeaways

• Run the calculator first. Get your DLA, MALT, per diem, and TLE in one number before you budget anything.
• DLA is the big one — one-time, tax-free, by rank and dependency status. Know your rate from the 2026 table above, and remember distance doesn't change it.
• Fix DEERS before you file so you're paid the with-dependents rate you're owed.
• Use DTOD, not your odometer, for mileage, and keep every TLE receipt.
• Keep a 20–30% cash buffer — most reimbursements land after you've already paid out.
• Turn your number into a plan. Start your free PCS Plan and get matched with someone who knows your next base.