BBC News. Now there's a reliable source of news?!
American soldiers receive a housing allowance, which depends on where they live. They also get paid a basic allowance for subsistence of $242 a month. However, soldiers in Iraq do not get this, as food is provided. And if there isn't enough room for them to live on base, their housing allowance generally does not cover the cost or renting a typical apartment, they have to cough up the extra on their own.