Is it cheaper to live in Boston or Worcester for monthly utilities?

Boston, MA is approximately 16% cheaper than Worcester, MA in average monthly utilities ($455/mo vs $544/mo), saving approximately $89 per month or $1,072 annually.

What is the average water and sewer bill in Boston compared to Worcester?

In Boston, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $40.00/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $6.80 per 1,000 gallons. In Worcester, baseline fixed meter fees are $40.00/month with Tier 1 water at $6.80 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Boston vs Worcester?

Boston experiences 800 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 28%, whereas Worcester records 1604 CDD with a summer spike of 39%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 5600 in Boston versus 4952 in Worcester.

Boston, MA vs Worcester, MA Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Boston and Worcester.

Boston Est.

$455/mo

Power:$273

Water & Sewer:$140

Gas & Trash:$139

Projected Variance

-$89/mo

Boston saves your household roughly $1,072 per year at this consumption tier.

Worcester Est.

$544/mo

Power:$273

Water & Sewer:$140

Gas & Trash:$139

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Boston, MA	Worcester, MA
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.285 / kWh	$0.285 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$16.00/mo	$16.00/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Eversource Energy (Boston) Deregulated REP Market	Eversource Energy (Boston) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.95 / Therm	$1.95 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$19.00/mo	$19.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$18.00/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$6.80	$6.80
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$10.40	$10.40
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $22.00/mo Volumetric: $9.80/1k gal	Base: $22.00/mo Volumetric: $9.80/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$32.00/mo	$32.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$8.50/mo	$8.50/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $200 – $400 Turn-on: $30.00	Deposit: $200 – $400 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	Boston, MA	Worcester, MA
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	800 CDD	1,604 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	5,600 HDD	4,952 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+28% Summer Spike	+39% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Coastal New England continental climate with cold winter snows and high retail energy supply rates.	NOAA 1991-2020 climate averages document 1,604 Cooling Degree Days and 4,952 Heating Degree Days annually across Worcester County.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Boston, MA	Worcester, MA
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.3 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Massachusetts SMART program + DPU 1:1 net metering credits with SREC incentives.	Massachusetts SMART program + DPU 1:1 net metering credits with SREC incentives.
City Solar Calculator	Boston Solar Estimator →	Worcester Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Boston Official Estimator

Boston, MA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: boston Open Boston Hub →

🏙️ Worcester Official Estimator

Worcester, MA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: worcester Open Worcester Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Boston vs Worcester

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

Is it cheaper to live in Boston or Worcester for utilities? ▼

Boston, MA is approximately 16% cheaper than Worcester, MA in overall monthly utility bills ($455/mo vs $544/mo). A typical household saves around $89 per month or $1,072 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Boston costs $0.285 per kWh supplied by Eversource Energy (Boston), compared to $0.285 per kWh in Worcester served by Eversource Energy (Boston). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $0.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Boston and Worcester? ▼

In Boston, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $18.00/mo plus $22.00/mo sewer baseline. In Worcester, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $22.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $6.80/1k gal in Boston versus $6.80/1k gal in Worcester.

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

Boston logs 800 Cooling Degree Days with a 28% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Worcester records 1,604 CDD with a 39% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 5,600 in Boston versus 4,952 in Worcester.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Boston

Boston vs Springfield, MA $455 vs $544 → Boston vs New York City, NY $455 vs $440 → Boston vs New York, NY $455 vs $439 → Boston vs Los Angeles, CA $455 vs $395 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Worcester

Worcester vs Springfield, MA $544 vs $544 → Worcester vs New York City, NY $544 vs $440 → Worcester vs New York, NY $544 vs $439 → Worcester vs Los Angeles, CA $544 vs $395 →

Boston, MA vs Worcester, MA

Boston

Worcester

Executive Summary & Citability Passage