Active Duty Military Pay
Cost of Living Allowance
To help offset the cost of living in various high-cost areas of the United States, the military offers a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to servicemembers stationed in certain high-cost areas. Servicemembers are eligible for COLA under the following conditions:
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They are assigned to a high-cost area of the United States, which are areas where the cost of living is above 8% of the national average. Currently, the DoD has classified 44 locations in the continental United States as high-cost areas.
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They have a primary dependent living in a high-cost area of the United States while they are overseas completing an unaccompanied tour of duty.
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The primary dependent lives in a high-cost area of the United States because the servicemember is assigned there.
