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<link rel='stylesheet' href='/includes/bc.css' /> <!doctype html> <html class="no-js" lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="IE=10,9" > <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <title>U.S. Department of State | Home Page</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/homepage.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/webfonts.css" /> <script async type="text/javascript" id="_fed_an_ua_tag" src="/includes/js/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=State"></script> </head> <body>  <div class="container">  <header role="banner" class="l-header"> <div class="row"> <div class="small-12 columns">  <div class="l-logo left"> <a href="/" target="_self" class="i-dos-seal" tabindex="2"><span class="hide">DOS Seal</span></a><div class="left"> <h1 role="heading" aria-level="1" class="i-dos-text">U.S. Department of State</h1> <h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Diplomacy in Action</h2> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </header>   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style="text-decoration: none" href="/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78" title="1995 - Current">Foreign Per Diem Rates</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <A HREF="javascript:;" onMouseOver="Visible(ID95b,ID95b)"> <td height="14" bgcolor="#f9f9f9" title="Allowance Rates"> <b>Allowance Rates</B> </td> </a> </tr> <tr> <td height="0" style="font-size: 0px"><Div ID="ID95a" Style="position:relative;"> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="1" style="font-size: 10px"> <Div ID="ID95b" Style="position:relative;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/Web920/location.asp?menu_id=95" title="Link to Web 920 allowances by location 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title="Biweekly Updates">Biweekly Allowance Updates</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/Web920/search.asp?menu_id=95" title="Web 920 allowances by custom search database">Custom Search</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/content/Documents/Web920/footnote_p.asp?menu_id=95" title="Footnotes to section 920">Footnotes to Section 920</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <A HREF="javascript:;" onMouseOver="Visible(ID101b,ID101b)"> <td height="14" bgcolor="#f9f9f9" title="Department of State Standardized Regulations"> <b>Standardized Regulations (DSSR)</B> </td> </a> </tr> <tr> <td height="0" style="font-size: 0px"><Div ID="ID101a" Style="position:relative;"> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="1" style="font-size: 10px"> <Div ID="ID101b" Style="position:relative;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/content.asp?content_id=286&menu_id=101" 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</div></td> </tr> <tr> <A HREF="javascript:;" onMouseOver="Visible(ID81b,ID81b)"> <td height="14" bgcolor="#f9f9f9" title="Quarterly Report Indexes"> <b>Quarterly Report Indexes</B> </td> </a> </tr> <tr> <td height="0" style="font-size: 0px"><Div ID="ID81a" Style="position:relative;"> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="1" style="font-size: 10px"> <Div ID="ID81b" Style="position:relative;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/content.asp?content_id=186&menu_id=81" title="Reports">Reports</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <A HREF="javascript:;" onMouseOver="Visible(ID102b,ID102b)"> <td height="14" bgcolor="#f9f9f9" title="About Us"> <b>Office of Allowances</B> </td> </a> </tr> <tr> <td height="0" style="font-size: 0px"><Div ID="ID102a" Style="position:relative;"> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="1" style="font-size: 10px"> <Div ID="ID102b" Style="position:relative;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/content.asp?content_id=284&menu_id=102" title="Contact Us">Contact Us</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="MenuLinks" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" > <tr> <td>  </TD> <td width="3%" valign="top" align="right"> </td> <td width="97%" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#ffffb9';" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor='#ffffff'"><DIV id="menulinks" style="margin-left: 3"> <a style="text-decoration: none" href="/content/Documents/2023-04-21 ALS Org Chart.docx?menu_id=102" title="ALS Org Chart">Organization Chart</a> </DIV></td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> </table> <table width="186" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="186"> </td> </tr> </table> <TD bgcolor="#F2F2F2"></TD> <TD valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="798px" id="AutoNumber1"> <tr> <td width="798px"> <div id='bccontainer'><ul><A href='http://www.state.gov'>Home </A><li><a href='http://www.state.gov/m/index.htm'>Under Secretary for Management </A></li><li><A Href='http://www.state.gov/m/a/index.htm'>Bureau of Administration </a></li><li><A href='http://aoprals.state.gov'>Office of Allowances</a></li></ul></DIV><DIV class='bccontainer'><H2 id='page-title' role='heading'>Office of Allowances</H2></DIV> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="798px" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellpadding="3"> <tr> <td> <center> <h1 class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; text-align: left" align="center"> </h1></center><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><center style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">The majority of the Post Allowance (COLA) changes effective 10/11/2020 were the result of a revised COLA process that was an outcome of a GAO and Congressional inquiry, and a 2017 OIG recommendation that the Department develop an objective method of generating COLA rates.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">The major change in the process from the prior method was with respect to collection of market data.</span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">  </span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">Rather than task posts with collecting the data, the Department's contractor obtains it for 210 locations, including Washington, D.C. suburbs, from Mercer, AirInc, and ECA International.</span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">  </span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">These three companies provide similar support to major U.S. multinational enterprises with worldwide presence.</span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">  </span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">The contractor then used a uniform methodology, adjusting for costs of housing and utilities since these are provided by USG agencies for their employees assigned to foreign posts, to calculate an index that assigned a base score of 100 to the Washington, D.C. suburbs and compared foreign locations to that base.</span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">  </span><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">The rate for each post is based on how the post index compares to the base index.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">The data for the foreign post's expat basket of goods and services is compared to that of the Washington, D.C. suburbs.  The contractor provides updated index information to the Department of State's Office of Allowances every August.  New COLA rates based on that data will be implemented during the first quarter of the Fiscal Year.  Post indexes will be reviewed on a biweekly basis for exchange rate fluctuations and post allowances will be adjusted when necessary.  More information about how COLA levels are determined is available in </span><a style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt" href="http://aoprals.a.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101"><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">DSSR 228</span></a><span new??="" ?courier="" font-family:="" 12pt;="">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><o:p>********* </o:p></p> Post Allowance: Commonly referred to as the "cost-of-living" allowance, this is an allowance based on a percentage of "spendable income," i.e. money you can really put your hands on to spend on goods and services. The amount varies depending on salary level and family size. The post allowance is calculated by comparing costs for goods and services at the foreign post with the costs for the same items in the Washington, D.C. area.  Categories of goods and services and standard weights are:  Food At and Away from Home (32%); Alcohol/Tobacco (3%); Clothing (7%); Personal Care (3%); Household Furnishings (8%); Medical (3%); Recreation (15%); Public and Private Transportation (14%); and Household Operations (15%).</center> <center style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br>A post allowance is established when the overall cost of goods and services at a foreign post, taking into account expenditure patterns, is at least 3% above the cost of the same goods and services in the Washington, D.C. area.<br><br><br>MORE INFORMATION:<br><br><a title="COLA calculator" href="/Content/documents/WebCOLAJan2023.xlsx">COLA Calculator</a><br>*Calculate the amount of COLA annually and biweekly<br><br><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%">LINKS:<br><br><a title="Post (cost of living) allowance rates" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,128)" href="/Web920/cola.asp">Post (Cost of Living) Allowance Rates</a> <br><br><a title="Allowances by location" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,128)" href="/Web920/location.asp?menu_id=95">Allowances by Location</a></span><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(0,32,96)"> </span></span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><br><br></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%">RESOURCES:<br><br><a title="FAQ" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,128)" href="/content.asp?content_id=166&menu_id=75">FAQ</a> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif">-</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> Post (Cost of Living) Allowance</span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><br><br></span></span><a title="Foreign service assignment notebook" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,0,128); line-height: 115%" href="https://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/c49274.htm">Foreign Service Assignment Notebook</a><br><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><br><br></span></center></span></td> <td>   </td> </tr> </table> </table></table> </tbody></table> </p> </div> </div> </main>  <div class="row collapse"> <div class="small-12 columns">  <footer role="contentinfo" class="l-footer">  <div class="row collapse"> <div class="small-12 columns"> <div class="l-dos-divider text-center"> <img src="./images/dos_divider.png" width="1000" height="100" alt="Image - DOS Divider" /> </div> </div> </div>  </footer>  </div> </div> </div>  </body> </html> <script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/js/federated-analytics.js"></script> </tbody></table>