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

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL in average monthly utilities ($345/mo vs $365/mo), saving approximately $20 per month or $240 annually.

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

In Jacksonville, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $45.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $2.90 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 Jacksonville vs Chicago?

Jacksonville experiences 2850 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 1350 in Jacksonville versus 6100 in Chicago.

Jacksonville, FL vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

Jacksonville Est.

$345/mo

Power:$140

Water & Sewer:$107

Gas & Trash:$100

Projected Variance

-$20/mo

Jacksonville saves your household roughly $240 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	Jacksonville, FL	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.142 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$12.50/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) Regulated Monopoly Utility	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.32 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$15.00/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$18.00/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$2.90	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$5.20	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $27.50/mo Volumetric: $7.40/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$25.50/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$6.00/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $275 Turn-on: $25.00	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	Jacksonville, FL	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	2,850 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	1,350 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+62% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Northeast Florida subtropical climate with mild winters and humid summers with tropical storm exposure.	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	Jacksonville, FL	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.1 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	JEA Distributed Generation Policy with fuel-rate export compensation.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	Jacksonville Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Jacksonville Official Estimator

Jacksonville, FL Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: jacksonville Open Jacksonville 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: Jacksonville vs Chicago

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

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

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL in overall monthly utility bills ($345/mo vs $365/mo). A typical household saves around $20 per month or $240 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Jacksonville costs $0.142 per kWh supplied by JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority), 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 $20.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In Jacksonville, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $18.00/mo plus $27.50/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $2.90/1k gal in Jacksonville versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

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

Jacksonville logs 2,850 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 1,350 in Jacksonville versus 6,100 in Chicago.

Related Metro Comparisons

Explore Other City Comparisons

Compare Jacksonville or Chicago against neighboring cities and prominent US metro destinations.

📍 Popular Comparisons for Jacksonville

Jacksonville vs Miami, FL $345 vs $385 → Jacksonville vs Tampa, FL $345 vs $362 → Jacksonville vs New York City, NY $345 vs $440 → Jacksonville vs Los Angeles, CA $345 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 →

Jacksonville, FL vs Chicago, IL

Jacksonville

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage