Is it cheaper to live in Atlanta or Houston for monthly utilities?

Houston, TX is approximately 3% cheaper than Atlanta, GA in average monthly utilities ($370/mo vs $380/mo), saving approximately $10 per month or $120 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between Atlanta and Houston?

Residential electricity in Atlanta is $0.134 per kWh served by Georgia Power, compared to $0.152 per kWh in Houston served by CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice).

What is the average water and sewer bill in Atlanta compared to Houston?

In Atlanta, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $52.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $5.10 per 1,000 gallons. In Houston, baseline fixed meter fees are $32.00/month with Tier 1 water at $4.10 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Atlanta vs Houston?

Atlanta experiences 1850 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 50%, whereas Houston records 3380 CDD with a summer spike of 65%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 2800 in Atlanta versus 1320 in Houston.

Atlanta, GA vs Houston, TX Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Atlanta and Houston.

Atlanta Est.

$380/mo

Power:$135

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$105

Projected Variance

+$10/mo

Houston saves your household roughly $120 per year at this consumption tier.

Houston Est.

$370/mo

Power:$145

Water & Sewer:$94

Gas & Trash:$96

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

Direct comparison of published rates, electric tariffs, and municipal meter charges.

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Atlanta, GA	Houston, TX
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.134 / kWh	$0.152 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$14.00/mo	$8.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Georgia Power Deregulated REP Market	CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.28 / Therm	$1.12 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$16.50/mo	$17.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$24.50/mo	$17.20/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$5.10	$4.10
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$8.20	$6.80
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $28.00/mo Volumetric: $11.20/1k gal	Base: $14.80/mo Volumetric: $6.20/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$31.00/mo	$28.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$7.50/mo	$9.50/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $300 Turn-on: $25.00	Deposit: $150 – $350 (REP-specific) Turn-on: $30.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

NOAA degree-day data dictating peak air conditioning and heating power spikes.

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Atlanta, GA	Houston, TX
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,850 CDD	3,380 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	2,800 HDD	1,320 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+50% Summer Spike	+65% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Humid subtropical climate with long hot summers and high combined water/sewer utility tariffs.	Tropical coastal moisture creates extreme dehumidification load from May through October.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

Rooftop solar irradiance and net metering rules to mitigate high utility bills.

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Atlanta, GA	Houston, TX
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.7 hrs/day	4.8 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Georgia Power RNR (Renewable & Non-Renewable Resources) tariff with monthly netting.	CenterPoint territory with retail electric provider solar buyback plans and battery peak export incentives.
City Solar Calculator	Atlanta Solar Estimator →	Houston Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Atlanta Official Estimator

Atlanta, GA Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Atlanta.

ZIP: atlanta Open Atlanta Hub →

🏙️ Houston Official Estimator

Houston, TX Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Houston.

ZIP: houston Open Houston Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Atlanta vs Houston

Direct answers to key cost of living and utility comparison questions.

Is it cheaper to live in Atlanta or Houston for utilities? ▼

Houston, TX is approximately 3% cheaper than Atlanta, GA in overall monthly utility bills ($370/mo vs $380/mo). A typical household saves around $10 per month or $120 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare per kilowatt-hour? ▼

Residential electricity in Atlanta costs $0.134 per kWh supplied by Georgia Power, compared to $0.152 per kWh in Houston served by CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $18.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Atlanta and Houston? ▼

In Atlanta, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $24.50/mo plus $28.00/mo sewer baseline. In Houston, the base water fee is $17.20/mo with $14.80/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $5.10/1k gal in Atlanta versus $4.10/1k gal in Houston.

How does weather and climate impact summer and winter power bills? ▼

Atlanta logs 1,850 Cooling Degree Days with a 50% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Houston records 3,380 CDD with a 65% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 2,800 in Atlanta versus 1,320 in Houston.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Houston

Houston vs San Antonio, TX $370 vs $310 → Houston vs Dallas, TX $370 vs $355 → Houston vs New York City, NY $370 vs $440 → Houston vs Los Angeles, CA $370 vs $395 →

Atlanta, GA vs Houston, TX

Atlanta

Houston

Executive Summary & Citability Passage