Allowances: Per diem - Military Pay & Allowances - Military Times

Allowances: Per diem

Per diem is a daily allotment for the cost of food and lodging for service members on government business or temporary duty away from their home station. The military also pays per diem for lodging and transportation during a permanent change-of-station move.

Lodging costs are reimbursed with a maximum amount set for each area.

The General Services Administration oversees per diem rates for the continental U.S.; the State Department oversees the program for all foreign countries; and the Defense Department handles per diem for U.S. locations outside the continental U.S., such as Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The per diem allowance for the cost of lodging, meals and incidental expenses ranges from as low as $4 per day in Egypt’s Sinai region to $585 per day for the Holy See at the Vatican. Usually, the per diem is about $100 to $200 per day in the U.S. and $100 to $300 per day overseas.

U.S. per diem computations are based on food and lodging costs gathered each year in more than 440 locations. Locations that are not specifically listed qualify for a standard per diem rate of $109 per day.

Foreign overseas rates are reviewed monthly by the State Department. For locations not specifically listed, the standard overseas per diem is $55 per day.