HRA rules under the 7th CPC
| DA level | X city | Y city | Z city |
|---|---|---|---|
| DA below 25% | 24% | 16% | 8% |
| DA 25% or more | 27% | 18% | 9% |
| DA 50% or more (now) | 30% | 20% | 10% |
Department of Expenditure OM No. 2/5/2017-E.II(B), 7 July 2017.
See your full pay, including DA and transport allowance, in the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HRA rate for central government employees now?
30% of basic pay in X cities, 20% in Y cities and 10% in Z cities, because DA has been above 50% since 1 January 2024. The minimum HRA is ₹5,400, ₹3,600 and ₹1,800.
What happens to HRA in the 8th Pay Commission?
Under the 7th CPC rules, HRA rates step down to 24/16/8% when DA is reset to 0, then rise to 27/18/9% at 25% DA and 30/20/10% at 50% DA. The 8th CPC may set new rates; this calculator lets you choose.
Which cities are X, Y and Z?
X cities have 50 lakh or more people (Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune). Y cities have 5 to 50 lakh. All other places are Z. The Department of Expenditure order lists them by name.
Will HRA go up or down after the 8th Pay Commission?
Usually up in rupees, because the lower rate applies to a much higher basic pay. For example, ₹44,900 basic in a Y city gets ₹8,980 HRA today; at a 2.28 factor and 16% it becomes ₹16,384.