Military spouses carry most of the invisible labor of the PCS season. We are the ones finding pet-friendly hotels, keeping receipts, managing kids in the back seat, and pushing housing offices for answers. In 2026, that invisible labor gets more complicated as PCS travel rules shift again.

This year, the financial pressure point shifts away from long driving distances and toward lodging caps, taxes, and dependent per diem calculations. Mileage reimbursement dipped, Temporary Lodging Expense expanded, and per diem stopped keeping up with inflation. Those quiet changes matter, especially if you’re moving with kids, pets, or into a tight housing market.

What Changed in 2026

Three components of PCS travel changed going into 2026: mileage, lodging, and per diem. Mileage reimbursement went down slightly, TLE lodging expanded from 14 to 21 days for most CONUS moves, and the standard CONUS per diem stayed flat at 178 dollars per day.

Here’s the year-over-year snapshot spouses actually need to see:

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2026 PCS Travel Allowances vs. 2025

Why Mileage Matters Less in 2026

Mileage reimbursement for PCS travel is 20.5 cents per mile, down from 21 cents per mile in 2025. On long drives, the difference adds up but no longer dominates your budget.

What throws people off is the temporary duty mileage rate. TDY mileage increased to 72.5 cents per mile for 2026, but that higher number does not apply to PCS moves. TDY mileage is intended to cover a vehicle's operating costs for short-term travel. PCS mileage is a travel allowance in place of a government-purchased ticket. Those are two different rules.

As a spouse budgeting, the real lesson is: don’t rely on TDY mileage rates. PCS mileage is lower by design, and lodging now affects your budget more than the mileage rate change.

Why Lodging Matters More in 2026

Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) partially reimburses lodging and meals for you and your family in temporary housing at a CONUS location during a PCS. As of November 27, 2024, TLE is extended from 14 days to 21 days for CONUS-to-CONUS moves, with this entitlement remaining in effect for 2026.

That’s helpful for families in tight rental markets or waiting on base housing. But the $290-per-family daily cap—including taxes and hotel fees—means properties with low base rates but high taxes or fees can push you past the cap just as a pricier hotel can.

Here’s the TLE structure spouses can use to sanity-check what they’re hearing.

2026 TLE Eligibility Logic

Practically, you get more partial coverage days, but strict dollar limits remain. Pick hotels based on total cost (room, taxes, fees, parking, pet fees), not just base rate.

Per Diem Stayed Flat: Families Feel It

Per diem is the daily allowance that helps cover lodging and meals during official travel days. For 2026, the standard CONUS per diem remains at $178 per day. That includes $110 for lodging and $68 for meals and incidental expenses.

Per diem does not pay each family member the same amount. For PCS travel, the Joint Travel Regulations pays dependents as a percentage of the service member’s rate based on age and how they travel.

Here’s the breakdown in spouse-friendly numbers:

2026 PCS Per Diem Breakdown

For larger families, this matters a lot. For example, three kids under 12 do not receive per diem per child.

Instead, there are three half-rates, given one per child. If the spouse and children travel separately from the service member, that separate travel pattern may trigger one full-rate dependent and additional partial-rate dependents.

The Real PCS Costs Spouses See in 2026

When you zoom out, the biggest PCS costs spouses feel in 2026 are less about the miles and more about the details:

• Pet-friendly lodging and deposits
• Taxes and hotel fees inside the 290-dollar TLE cap
• Food for kids during long travel days
• Childcare or supervision is needed while house-hunting
• Gas plus food plus tolls during multi-car convoys
• Extra days in temporary lodging waiting for keys or inspections

Mileage is easy to argue about online because it is a single number. But the stress spouses live with often stems from hotel bills, missing receipts, confusing per diem calculations, and delayed reimbursements.

Common PCS Budget Mistakes in 2026

Spouses are seeing the same avoidable problems over and over again this PCS season:

• Using TDY mileage rates instead of PCS mileage for planning
• Following old 14-day TLE blog posts instead of the 21-day current rule
• Booking hotels on room rate alone and ignoring taxes and fees
• Assuming every family member gets the same per diem amount
• Waiting too long to ask the housing office about an extended TLE
• Not getting zero-balance, itemized lodging receipts

Each of these mistakes eats into your budget and your patience, at exactly the wrong time.

How Military Spouses Can Protect Their Budget in 2026

You cannot control the rates behind PCS travel, but you can control how you plan around them. As the spouse managing the move, you can:

• Confirm with the housing office if your gaining area has extended TLE authority
• Choose hotels based on the total after-tax cost instead of the base nightly rate
• Save every lodging receipt, and make sure it shows a zero balance and breaks out taxes and fees
• Make sure every dependent is correctly listed on orders and travel documents
• Ask finance or the installation travel office to walk through your per diem math before you leave
• Plan travel days around the officially authorized distance, not just what a map app suggests

These small steps give you more control over a system you didn’t design, but still have to survive, often while parenting and working at the same time. You deserve all the clarity and support you can get.

Suggested reads:

• Orders Season Is Here: What Today's Assignments Say About 2026 Deployments
• Why PCS Season Strains Military Family Finances, Even With BAH and Reimbursements
• 2026 PCS Money Guide: Your BAH, 21 Days of TLE, and How to Fight a Shortfall