Is it cheaper to live in Austin or Chicago for monthly utilities?

Austin, TX is approximately 8% cheaper than Chicago, IL in average monthly utilities ($335/mo vs $365/mo), saving approximately $30 per month or $360 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between Austin and Chicago?

Residential electricity in Austin is $0.138 per kWh served by Austin Energy, compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison).

What is the average water and sewer bill in Austin compared to Chicago?

In Austin, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $27.60/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $3.45 per 1,000 gallons. In Chicago, baseline fixed meter fees are $36.00/month with Tier 1 water at $4.40 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Austin vs Chicago?

Austin experiences 3150 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 62%, whereas Chicago records 1050 CDD with a summer spike of 38%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 1480 in Austin versus 6100 in Chicago.

Austin, TX vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Austin and Chicago.

Austin Est.

$335/mo

Power:$136

Water & Sewer:$79

Gas & Trash:$100

Projected Variance

-$30/mo

Austin saves your household roughly $360 per year at this consumption tier.

Chicago Est.

$365/mo

Power:$161

Water & Sewer:$89

Gas & Trash:$100

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Austin, TX	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.138 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$12.00/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Austin Energy Regulated Monopoly Utility	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.15 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$16.50/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$15.40/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$3.45	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$5.60	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $12.20/mo Volumetric: $5.10/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$31.85/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$8.40/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $250 (Waived with Letter of Credit) Turn-on: $20.00	Deposit: $150 – $300 Turn-on: $25.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

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

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Austin, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	3,150 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	1,480 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+62% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Humid subtropical climate with prolonged hot summers where peak HVAC air conditioning accounts for over 52% of residential electric consumption.	Continental climate with severe winter cold and heating loads, plus hot humid summer cycles.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Austin, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.2 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Austin Energy Value of Solar (VoS) Tariff credited at 9.91¢/kWh with local rebate incentives up to $2,500.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	Austin Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Austin Official Estimator

Austin, TX Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: austin Open Austin Hub →

🏙️ Chicago Official Estimator

Chicago, IL Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: chicago Open Chicago Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Austin vs Chicago

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

Is it cheaper to live in Austin or Chicago for utilities? ▼

Austin, TX is approximately 8% cheaper than Chicago, IL in overall monthly utility bills ($335/mo vs $365/mo). A typical household saves around $30 per month or $360 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Austin costs $0.138 per kWh supplied by Austin Energy, compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $24.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Austin and Chicago? ▼

In Austin, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $15.40/mo plus $12.20/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $3.45/1k gal in Austin versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

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

Austin logs 3,150 Cooling Degree Days with a 62% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 1,480 in Austin versus 6,100 in Chicago.

Related Metro Comparisons

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Austin vs Houston, TX $335 vs $370 → Austin vs San Antonio, TX $335 vs $310 → Austin vs New York City, NY $335 vs $440 → Austin vs Los Angeles, CA $335 vs $395 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Chicago

Chicago vs New York City, NY $365 vs $440 → Chicago vs Los Angeles, CA $365 vs $395 → Chicago vs Houston, TX $365 vs $370 → Chicago vs Phoenix, AZ $365 vs $390 →

Austin, TX vs Chicago, IL

Austin

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage