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

Chicago, IL is approximately 20% 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 New York compared to Chicago?

In New York, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $40.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $4.03 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 New York vs Chicago?

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

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

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

New York Est.

$439/mo

Power:$234

Water & Sewer:$108

Gas & Trash:$104

Projected Variance

+$74/mo

Chicago saves your household roughly $890 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	New York, NY	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.240 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$18.25/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Consolidated Edison (ConEd) Deregulated REP Market	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.48 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$23.25/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$16.00/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.03	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$5.12	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $24.50/mo Volumetric: $7.29/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$14.00/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$2.75/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $200 – $400 Turn-on: $30.00	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	New York, NY	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,834 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	4,584 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+41% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	NOAA 1991-2020 climate averages document 1,834 Cooling Degree Days and 4,584 Heating Degree Days annually across New York County.	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	New York, NY	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.6 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	NYSERDA NY-Sun Rebate + NY PSC Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) & 1:1 net metering.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	New York Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ 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 →

🏙️ 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: New York vs Chicago

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

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

Chicago, IL is approximately 20% 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 New York costs $0.240 per kWh supplied by Consolidated Edison (ConEd), 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 $78.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

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

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

New York logs 1,834 Cooling Degree Days with a 41% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 4,584 in New York versus 6,100 in Chicago.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 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 →

📍 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 →

New York, NY vs Chicago, IL

New York

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage