Military retirement overseas budget calculator

Monthly surplus at the VA rating you expect and the two below it, with or without the GI Bill. If the lower columns go red, fix the debt line before you move.

Income

Net retired pay deposit, monthly after SBP, insurance, court-ordered shares and withholding VA rating you expect Married spouse on your VA award

Children under 18

Children 18 to 23 in school

Dependent parents

Studying at a foreign school on the Post-9/11 GI BillAdds the foreign-school MHA. Requires one on-campus course per term. GI Bill kicker, monthly TSP, 401(k) or IRA withdrawals, monthly what you actually plan to draw; penalties may apply before 59½ Social Security or a second pension, monthly 0 if not yet drawing Rental, spouse or other income, monthly net, after costs

Expenses, monthly USD

Committed debt payments 0 if none US subscriptions and fixed bills Local living costs rent, food, transport, converted to USD. A couple in a furnished 2-bedroom condo near Bangkok runs about $1,500 to $2,000 TRICARE Overseas planning line calculate it; about $100 for a couple, $150 for a family with kids

Surplus per month

How to read it

The first column is your expected rating. The next two are what happens if the decision lands lower. Ratings are not final until they are final.
Uncheck the GI Bill box to see the plan without school. The difference is what studying is worth per month after any extra city living costs you entered.
Retired pay is entered net because the deductions (SBP at 6.5 percent, any former-spouse share, insurance, federal withholding) vary too much to guess. Use the DFAS estimate.

Military Retirement Overseas Budget Planner spreadsheet cover

Want the full picture, with your own numbers?

The Military Retirement Overseas Budget Planner is an Excel workbook that runs retired pay, VA compensation, GI Bill, debts and local living costs at three VA ratings side by side, with a 36-month projection where debts fall off on schedule, the TRICARE Overseas estimator, and a loan-payoff calculator. No macros. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.

Get the workbook, $19

Prefer the reasoning over the spreadsheet? The Retire to Thailand on TRICARE and the GI Bill field guide is 17 pages for $17: the money stack, the on-campus rule, TRICARE for retirees, visa tracks, and the phase-by-phase checklist.

VA compensation from the 2025 published table with the 2026 COLA of 2.8 percent applied; see the rates page. Assumes CRDP: 20 or more years of service and a rating of 50 percent or higher, so VA pay stacks on retired pay. Under 20 years without CRSC, retired pay is offset and this calculator does not apply.