Field notes
Where the number comes from — and why your basket may beat it
The percentages in this calculator are not marketing copy — they're the Defense Commissary Agency's own published patron-savings measurements (FY2026 Q2 baseline). DeCA prices a market basket at regional and national grocery retailers, includes the sales tax you'd pay there, and compares it to commissary shelf prices including the 5% surcharge. The result for FY2026: a 24.9% global average, 21.3% across the continental US, and 41.6% overseas, with US regions ranging from 16.9% (South Central) to 33.8% (Alaska/Hawaii). Federal law (10 U.S.C. § 2484(i)) requires DeCA to keep overall patron savings consistent with the baseline established for each region.
The surcharge isn't a gotcha. The 5% surcharge applies at the register and funds commissary construction and renovation — and it is already inside every savings percentage above, because DeCA's methodology compares final checkout prices on both sides.
Your basket matters more than the average. The published rate is a blended market-basket average — individual items vary, so your own basket can save more or less than the regional percentage. The measured gap is widest overseas (41.6%) and in Alaska/Hawaii (33.8%).
Stack it with the rest of your money math. A family spending $1,000/month at the US average saves roughly $2,556 a year — real budget headroom. Put the same rigor on the income side with the RMC calculator, and if a PCS is coming, run the COLA and BAH comparison for the new station.
Source: Defense Commissary Agency, Patron Savings (corp.commissaries.com) — FY2026 Q2 regional baseline, re-verified July 2026. Savings estimates only; your actual basket varies.