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

Chicago, IL is approximately 8% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA in average monthly utilities ($365/mo vs $395/mo), saving approximately $30 per month or $360 annually.

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

In Chicago, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $36.00/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $4.40 per 1,000 gallons. In Los Angeles, baseline fixed meter fees are $37.50/month with Tier 1 water at $5.20 per 1,000 gallons.

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

Chicago experiences 1050 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 38%, whereas Los Angeles records 1100 CDD with a summer spike of 35%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 6100 in Chicago versus 1250 in Los Angeles.

Chicago, IL vs Los Angeles, CA Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

Chicago Est.

$365/mo

Power:$161

Water & Sewer:$89

Gas & Trash:$100

Projected Variance

-$30/mo

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

Los Angeles Est.

$395/mo

Power:$235

Water & Sewer:$106

Gas & Trash:$134

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Chicago, IL	Los Angeles, CA
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.162 / kWh	$0.245 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$15.50/mo	$14.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market	LADWP (Los Angeles Dept of Water & Power) Regulated Monopoly Utility
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.25 / Therm	$1.85 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$34.50/mo	$14.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$18.00/mo	$19.50/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.40	$5.20
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$6.20	$8.10
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $6.20/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$9.50/mo	$36.32/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$0.00/mo	$8.50/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $300 Turn-on: $25.00	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	Chicago, IL	Los Angeles, CA
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,050 CDD	1,100 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	6,100 HDD	1,250 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+38% Summer Spike	+35% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Continental climate with severe winter cold and heating loads, plus hot humid summer cycles.	Mediterranean coastal basin with mild winters and sunny warm summers.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Chicago, IL	Los Angeles, CA
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.4 hrs/day	5.5 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.	LADWP Solar Net Metering (NEM 1.0/2.0 equivalent with 1:1 retail credits).
City Solar Calculator	Chicago Solar Estimator →	Los Angeles Solar Estimator →

🏙️ 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 →

🏙️ Los Angeles Official Estimator

Los Angeles, CA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: los-angeles Open Los Angeles Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Chicago vs Los Angeles

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

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

Chicago, IL is approximately 8% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA in overall monthly utility bills ($365/mo vs $395/mo). A typical household saves around $30 per month or $360 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Chicago costs $0.162 per kWh supplied by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison), compared to $0.245 per kWh in Los Angeles served by LADWP (Los Angeles Dept of Water & Power). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $83.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In Chicago, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $18.00/mo plus $18.00/mo sewer baseline. In Los Angeles, the base water fee is $19.50/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $4.40/1k gal in Chicago versus $5.20/1k gal in Los Angeles.

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

Chicago logs 1,050 Cooling Degree Days with a 38% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Los Angeles records 1,100 CDD with a 35% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 6,100 in Chicago versus 1,250 in Los Angeles.

Related Metro Comparisons

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Chicago vs New York City, NY $365 vs $440 → Chicago vs Houston, TX $365 vs $370 → Chicago vs Phoenix, AZ $365 vs $390 → Chicago vs Philadelphia, PA $365 vs $380 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Los Angeles

Los Angeles vs San Diego, CA $395 vs $465 → Los Angeles vs San Jose, CA $395 vs $440 → Los Angeles vs New York City, NY $395 vs $440 → Los Angeles vs Houston, TX $395 vs $370 →

Chicago, IL vs Los Angeles, CA

Chicago

Los Angeles

Executive Summary & Citability Passage