The Standard CONUS Per Diem Rate, Explained
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In this guide
Look up almost any small or mid-size American city on the GSA per diem tool and you'll get the same answer: it isn't separately listed. That's not a data gap — it's the system working as designed. GSA deliberately only names specific rates for the minority of higher-cost destinations, and lets a single fallback figure, the standard rate, cover everywhere else.
TL;DR
The standard CONUS rate — $110 lodging and $68 M&IE for FY2026, $178 combined — is the default per diem figure for any continental US destination GSA hasn't separately listed as a "non-standard area." Around 2,600 of roughly 3,000 US counties fall under it. It's not a lesser or fallback-quality rate; it's simply the rate that applies to the large majority of the country by design.
Why a fallback rate exists at all
GSA names specific per diem rates for a few hundred higher-cost cities and counties — roughly 300 "non-standard areas" — each fiscal year, based on a survey of local lodging costs. Naming a bespoke rate for every single county in the country would be an enormous, constantly-shifting administrative task for very little practical benefit, since travel costs in most of the country cluster closely together. Instead, every other location in the continental US (CONUS) uses a single fallback: the standard rate, applied uniformly regardless of exactly which small city or county you're visiting.
FY2026 standard rate
- Lodging: $110 per night.
- M&IE: $68 per day ($51 on the first and last travel day, under the 75% rule).
- Combined: $178 per full day on the road.
When the standard rate applies
If your destination city or county isn't separately listed by GSA as a non-standard area, you use the standard rate — full stop, no partial application or blending with a nearby city's rate. Our per diem calculator tells you clearly when it has fallen back to the standard rate, so there's no ambiguity about which figure applies to your specific trip. For the complete list of every non-standard listed city and the standard-rate CONUS table together, see our comprehensive CONUS per diem rates guide.
| Standard CONUS rate | Example: listed city (varies) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging | $110/night, flat all year | Often higher, sometimes seasonal by month |
| M&IE | $68/day | Can be $74, $80, $86 or $92/day |
| How it's set | Single national fallback figure | GSA's annual local cost survey for that specific area |
Standard rate vs a typical listed non-standard city
CONUS vs. OCONUS: don't confuse the two
Alaska, Hawaii, US territories and foreign locations are "OCONUS" (outside the continental United States) and use rates set by the Department of Defense and the State Department, not the GSA CONUS table at all — the standard rate never applies to those destinations. See our guide to OCONUS vs CONUS per diem for the full comparison, including which agency sets each region's figures.
“Standard CONUS per diem rates apply to those locations within CONUS not specifically listed for a given fiscal year.”
— U.S. General Services Administration, gsa.gov
Does the standard rate change every year?
Yes — GSA reviews and republishes both the standard rate and the list of non-standard areas each fiscal year, typically effective October 1. A city can move from the standard rate onto a listed non-standard rate if local lodging costs rise enough to justify it, or the reverse, so it's worth re-checking a familiar destination each fiscal year rather than assuming last year's rate still applies. Our methodology page documents exactly which fiscal year's dataset PerDiemWise is currently using.
How do I know if my destination uses the standard rate?
Search the destination in our per diem calculator or the official GSA per diem tool. If the city or county isn't separately listed, it defaults to the standard CONUS rate.
Is the standard rate lower quality or less accurate than a listed city rate?
No — it's simply the rate GSA has determined is appropriate for locations that don't have distinctly higher lodging costs than the national baseline.
Does the standard rate change by month like some city rates do?
No — the standard lodging rate is flat all year. Only some listed non-standard cities have seasonal lodging rates that vary by month.
What happens if I travel to a nearby town that isn't listed, close to a listed city?
You use the rate for the specific county or city your destination actually falls in, not a neighbouring listed city's rate — proximity alone doesn't transfer the rate.
Calculate it now
Use the free GSA per diem and IRS mileage calculators.