PCS Cost Tool
PCS Cost & Allowance Estimator
A PCS move pays you three travel allowances — Dislocation Allowance (DLA), mileage (MALT), and per diem — and then quietly bills you for everything the government doesn't cover. This estimator computes the allowance side from the official 2026 rate tables and nets it against your own out-of-pocket estimates. The rates below are the published ones it runs on.
Worked Example: E-5 (Sergeant) with Dependents, 1,000-Mile Move
Assumptions, all stated: an E-5 (Sergeant) with dependents, driving 1,000 official miles with a spouse and one child under 12 traveling along. Every figure is computed from the 2026 rate tables cited on this page — your own numbers depend on your grade, route, and who travels.
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dislocation Allowance (DLA)Flat 2026 rate for an E-5 with dependents. | $3,548.02 |
| MALT mileage (20.5¢/mi)1,000 official miles × 20.5¢ per mile. | $205.00 |
| Authorized travel days1,000 mi ÷ 350/day, remainder of 51+ miles adds a day (JTR par. 050205). | 3 days |
| Member per diem3 days × $178.00. | $534.00 |
| Spouse per diem (75%)3 days × $133.50. | $400.50 |
| Child under 12 per diem (50%)3 days × $89.00. | $267.00 |
| Total government reimbursement | $4,954.52 |
Rates: DLA and MALT per the PDTATAC CY2026 rate memos, per diem at the 2026 standard CONUS rate with JTR dependent fractions. Reimbursements are estimates — actual voucher payouts depend on your orders and local finance approval, and DLA is not payable in every situation.
What the Estimator Adds on Top of the Rates
The allowance math above is the government's side. The other side of a PCS is the spending the allowances don't itemize: pet travel and quarantine, lease-break and cleaning fees, lodging beyond what per diem covers, deposits and setup at the new house, and the miscellaneous costs every move accumulates. The estimator tracks those against your computed allowances to show whether your move nets out ahead or leaves a gap to budget for, and matches heavy moving spend against credit cards with military fee waivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Dislocation Allowance (DLA) in 2026?
DLA is a flat amount set by pay grade and dependency status, effective January 1, 2026 — for example, an E-5 with dependents receives $3,548.02 and an E-5 without dependents receives $2,389.42. The published table is flatter than most people expect: every enlisted grade E-1 through E-6 shares the same $3,548.02 with-dependents rate. DLA is not paid in every case — a member without dependents assigned to government quarters at the new duty station, for instance, does not receive it.
What is the 2026 MALT mileage rate for a PCS?
MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation) pays 20.5¢ per official mile, per authorized vehicle, effective January 1, 2026. The rate is set each year from the IRS standard mileage rate for moving, and the distance is the official DTOD distance between duty stations — not your odometer.
How many travel days does a PCS drive get, and what is the per diem?
Under the Joint Travel Regulations, a drive of up to 400 official miles is one travel day; longer trips divide the distance by 350, with a remainder of 51 miles or more adding one day. Each authorized travel day pays a flat per diem: $178.00 for the member, $133.50 for each accompanying dependent age 12 or older (75%), and $89.00 for each dependent under 12 (50%).
What does the PCS cost estimator actually calculate?
It puts the government's side and your side of the move on one screen: DLA, MALT, and per diem computed from the current rate tables for your rank, dependents, and route, against your own out-of-pocket estimates — pet travel, lease breaks, excess lodging, deposits, and setup costs — to show the net gap you should budget for. The rates and rules the estimator uses are the published ones shown on this page.