PCS Move

Military PCS Calculator

All-in-one

Every PCS entitlement from one set of orders: Dislocation Allowance, MALT mileage, travel-day per diem for your family, Temporary Lodging Expense, and the PPM/DITY payout if you move yourself. Same 2026 JTR and DTMO tables as the individual calculators.

Rates checked 2026-09-24 · 2026 · FY2026Reviewed by Guilherme Correia, active-duty U.S. Air Force

Dependents relocating with you

Estimated at the standard CONUS rate ($110.00 lodging + $68.00 M&IE). The TLE calculator uses your exact locality.

What a 1,200-mile PCS pays, by rank (2026 tables)

One POV, member plus spouse plus one child 12 or older, 4 authorized travel days (JTR par. 050205), MALT at $0.24 a mile, MALT-plus per diem at the flat standard CONUS rate of $178.00 a day (dependents 12 and older at 75%), and 10 days of TLE at the standard rate with the family percentage from JTR Table 5-17. Household goods and any PPM incentive are on top.

PCS entitlements for a 1,200-mile move by rank, 2026
RankDLA (with dependents)MALTPer diem, familyTLE, 10 daysTotal
E-3$3,548.02$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$8,013.02
E-5$3,548.02$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$8,013.02
E-7$3,551.31$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$8,016.31
E-9$4,149.51$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$8,614.51
O-1$3,085.23$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$7,550.23
O-3$4,041.88$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$8,506.88
O-5$5,542.06$282.00$1,780.00$2,403.00$10,007.06

Sources: PDTATAC DLA-2026-01-01; DTMO Mileage Rates table, MALT effective 1 July 2026. The mid-year increase follows IRS Announcement 2026-11 (IRB 2026-29, 13 July 2026), which modified Notice 2026-10 and raised the optional standard mileage rate for moving purposes to 23.5 cents effective 1 July 2026.; JTR Ch 5 (par. 050205, 050301 Table 5-4, 0506 Table 5-17). E-1 through E-6 share one with-dependents DLA rate.

What each line is, and where it comes from

Dislocation Allowance. A flat, non-taxable payment by pay grade and dependency status to offset the costs of relocating a household (JTR par. 0505). The CY2026 primary table runs from $1,870.58 for an E-1 without dependents to $6,385.58 for O-7 and above with dependents. It is paid once per PCS, not on a first duty station move or a separation, and can be advanced. The DLA calculator covers the secondary and partial rates.

MALT. Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation: $0.24 a mile for each POV you are authorized to drive, on the official DTOD distance (JTR par. 050203). Travel that began before July 1, 2026 settles at the earlier $0.21 rate (JTR par. 050203 pays the rate in effect on the day travel begins).

Per diem for the drive. MALT-plus pays the flat standard CONUS per diem ($178.00 in FY2026) for every authorized travel day, first and last included; dependents 12 and older get 75% and under 12 get 50% (JTR Table 5-4). The day count is one day at 400 miles or less, otherwise the distance divided by 350 plus a day when the remainder is 51 or more. The MALT and per diem calculator shows the day-by-day math.

Temporary Lodging Expense. Up to 21 days in CONUS: actual lodging up to the locality rate times the family percentage, plus M&IE times the same percentage, capped at $290.00 a day (JTR par. 0506, Table 5-17). This page assumes you spend to the ceiling at the standard rate; the TLE calculator uses your locality and handles government quarters and extensions.

PPM / DITY. If you move your own household goods, the government pays 100% of what it would have cost it (the Government Constructed Cost) for the weight you move up to your allowance, less federal withholding on the taxable incentive (DoD FMR Vol 9, Ch 6). The PPM / DITY calculator prices the truck, fuel and labor against it and the PPM decision engine says whether a full or partial PPM is worth it. Check your weight allowance first.

Overseas moves swap TLE for TLA and BAH for OHA: see the TLA calculator and the OHA calculator. The PCS checklist puts the paperwork on a timeline.

FAQ

PCS calculator — frequently asked questions

What does the PCS calculator add up?
Five entitlements from one set of orders: Dislocation Allowance (DLA) for your grade and dependency status from the CY2026 DTMO table; Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation (MALT) at $0.235 a mile per authorized POV for travel that begins on or after July 1, 2026; MALT-plus per diem at the standard CONUS rate for every authorized travel day, with dependents at 75 percent (12 and older) or 50 percent (under 12); Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) for the days you enter, at the locality lodging and M&IE rates; and, if you move yourself, the PPM/DITY incentive at 100 percent of the Government Constructed Cost estimate, less withholding.
Is the PPM figure the same as the PPM calculator's?
Yes. This page calls the same /api/calculators/ppm endpoint as the PPM calculator with your rank, dependency status, weight and distance, so the Government Constructed Cost estimate, the incentive and the net-after-withholding figure are identical. The PPM calculator adds the cost side (truck, fuel, labor) and the state tax detail; run it after this page if you are deciding whether to move yourself.
How many travel days does the calculator allow?
The JTR formula: one day if the official distance is 400 miles or less; otherwise divide the distance by 350 and add a day if the remainder is 51 miles or more (JTR par. 050205). Per diem is paid for each of those days at the standard CONUS rate, first and last day included, with no 75 percent reduction, because MALT-plus travel uses the flat rate in JTR Table 5-4.
Does TLE really pay the full locality rate?
TLE reimburses your actual lodging cost up to the locality lodging rate times the family percentage, plus M&IE times the same percentage, capped at $290 a day, for up to 21 days in CONUS (JTR par. 0506, Table 5-17). This page assumes you spend up to the lodging ceiling, which is the maximum; cheaper lodging pays less. The TLE calculator handles the extension, government quarters and mil-to-mil cases.
What is not in this estimate?
Anything the JTR pays only on receipts or only in specific cases: TLA (the overseas equivalent of TLE), household goods shipment if the government moves you, POV shipment, pet transportation, the advance on DLA, and any taxes beyond the withholding shown on the PPM incentive. DLA, MALT and per diem are not taxable; the PPM incentive is. Verify every figure with your finance office before you sign for a move.

Keep going

Go deeper on each entitlement

PPM / DITY Calculator

Government cost, withholding, your costs, net profit.

DLA Calculator

Primary, secondary and partial DLA by grade.

MALT + Per Diem

Mileage and travel-day per diem, day by day.

TLE Calculator

Temporary lodging at your exact locality.

PCS Checklist

Every appointment and form on a timeline.

Read next

REF: JTR par. 0505, 050203, 050205, 050301 Table 5-4, 0506 Table 5-17 · DoD FMR Vol 9, Ch 6, effective Rates effective 2026 (MALT from July 1, 2026; per diem FY2026 through September 30, 2026)

DTMO DLA table (CY2026) · DTMO MALT rate · GSA/DTMO standard CONUS per diem (FY2026) · JTR Chapter 5

Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial