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

Chicago, IL is approximately 17% cheaper than New York, NY in average monthly utilities ($365/mo vs $439/mo), saving approximately $74 per month or $890 annually.

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

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 New York, baseline fixed meter fees are $40.50/month with Tier 1 water at $4.03 per 1,000 gallons.

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

Chicago experiences 1050 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 38%, whereas New York records 1834 CDD with a summer spike of 41%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 6100 in Chicago versus 4584 in New York.

Chicago, IL vs New York, NY Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

Chicago Est.

$365/mo

Power:$161

Water & Sewer:$89

Gas & Trash:$100

Projected Variance

-$74/mo

Chicago saves your household roughly $890 per year at this consumption tier.

New York Est.

$439/mo

Power:$234

Water & Sewer:$108

Gas & Trash:$104

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Chicago, IL	New York, NY
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.162 / kWh	$0.240 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$15.50/mo	$18.25/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market	Consolidated Edison (ConEd) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.25 / Therm	$1.48 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$34.50/mo	$23.25/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$18.00/mo	$16.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.40	$4.03
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$6.20	$5.12
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal	Base: $24.50/mo Volumetric: $7.29/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$9.50/mo	$14.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$0.00/mo	$2.75/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	New York, NY
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,050 CDD	1,834 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	6,100 HDD	4,584 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+38% Summer Spike	+41% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Continental climate with severe winter cold and heating loads, plus hot humid summer cycles.	NOAA 1991-2020 climate averages document 1,834 Cooling Degree Days and 4,584 Heating Degree Days annually across New York County.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Chicago, IL	New York, NY
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.4 hrs/day	4.6 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.	NYSERDA NY-Sun Rebate + NY PSC Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) & 1:1 net metering.
City Solar Calculator	Chicago Solar Estimator →	New York 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 →

🏙️ New York Official Estimator

New York, NY Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: new-york Open New York Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Chicago vs New York

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

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

Chicago, IL is approximately 17% cheaper than New York, NY in overall monthly utility bills ($365/mo vs $439/mo). A typical household saves around $74 per month or $890 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 $0.240 per kWh in New York served by Consolidated Edison (ConEd). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $78.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In Chicago, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $18.00/mo plus $18.00/mo sewer baseline. In New York, the base water fee is $16.00/mo with $24.50/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $4.40/1k gal in Chicago versus $4.03/1k gal in New York.

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, New York records 1,834 CDD with a 41% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 6,100 in Chicago versus 4,584 in New York.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Chicago

Chicago vs Springfield, IL $365 vs $349 → Chicago vs Peoria, IL $365 vs $349 → Chicago vs New York City, NY $365 vs $440 → Chicago vs Los Angeles, CA $365 vs $395 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for New York

New York vs New York City, NY $439 vs $440 → New York vs Brooklyn, NY $439 vs $439 → New York vs Los Angeles, CA $439 vs $395 → New York vs Houston, TX $439 vs $370 →

Chicago, IL vs New York, NY

Chicago

New York

Executive Summary & Citability Passage