Is it cheaper to live in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for monthly utilities?

Pittsburgh, PA is approximately 4% cheaper than Philadelphia, PA in average monthly utilities ($365/mo vs $380/mo), saving approximately $15 per month or $180 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh?

Residential electricity in Philadelphia is $0.178 per kWh served by PECO Energy Company, compared to $0.174 per kWh in Pittsburgh served by Duquesne Light Company.

What is the average water and sewer bill in Philadelphia compared to Pittsburgh?

In Philadelphia, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $37.00/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $4.60 per 1,000 gallons. In Pittsburgh, baseline fixed meter fees are $61.50/month with Tier 1 water at $4.90 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh?

Philadelphia experiences 1350 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 42%, whereas Pittsburgh records 880 CDD with a summer spike of 32%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 4700 in Philadelphia versus 5750 in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia Est.

$380/mo

Power:$172

Water & Sewer:$108

Gas & Trash:$87

Projected Variance

+$15/mo

Pittsburgh saves your household roughly $180 per year at this consumption tier.

Pittsburgh Est.

$365/mo

Power:$169

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$72

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Philadelphia, PA	Pittsburgh, PA
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.178 / kWh	$0.174 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$11.50/mo	$12.00/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	PECO Energy Company Deregulated REP Market	Duquesne Light Company Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.45 / Therm	$1.22 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$22.00/mo	$17.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$17.50/mo	$26.50/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.60	$4.90
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$6.90	$7.80
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $19.50/mo Volumetric: $7.20/1k gal	Base: $35.00/mo Volumetric: $9.80/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$0.00/mo	$0.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$15.00/mo	$8.50/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $300 Turn-on: $25.00	Deposit: $160 – $280 Turn-on: $20.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

NOAA degree-day data dictating peak air conditioning and heating power spikes.

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Philadelphia, PA	Pittsburgh, PA
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,350 CDD	880 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	4,700 HDD	5,750 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+42% Summer Spike	+32% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Four-season Mid-Atlantic climate with PA PUC deregulated electric choice and storm water billing.	Humid continental climate with freezing, cloudy winters and warm, humid summers.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Philadelphia, PA	Pittsburgh, PA
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.5 hrs/day	4.1 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	PA PUC 1:1 net metering with annual customer compensation at Price-to-Compare.	PA PUC 1:1 retail net metering up to 50 kW with annual credit cashout.
City Solar Calculator	Philadelphia Solar Estimator →	Pittsburgh Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Philadelphia Official Estimator

Philadelphia, PA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: philadelphia Open Philadelphia Hub →

🏙️ Pittsburgh Official Estimator

Pittsburgh, PA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: pittsburgh Open Pittsburgh Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh

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

Is it cheaper to live in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for utilities? ▼

Pittsburgh, PA is approximately 4% cheaper than Philadelphia, PA in overall monthly utility bills ($365/mo vs $380/mo). A typical household saves around $15 per month or $180 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Philadelphia costs $0.178 per kWh supplied by PECO Energy Company, compared to $0.174 per kWh in Pittsburgh served by Duquesne Light Company. For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $4.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh? ▼

In Philadelphia, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $17.50/mo plus $19.50/mo sewer baseline. In Pittsburgh, the base water fee is $26.50/mo with $35.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $4.60/1k gal in Philadelphia versus $4.90/1k gal in Pittsburgh.

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

Philadelphia logs 1,350 Cooling Degree Days with a 42% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Pittsburgh records 880 CDD with a 32% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 4,700 in Philadelphia versus 5,750 in Pittsburgh.

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Philadelphia vs New York City, NY $380 vs $440 → Philadelphia vs Los Angeles, CA $380 vs $395 → Philadelphia vs Chicago, IL $380 vs $365 → Philadelphia vs Houston, TX $380 vs $370 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs New York City, NY $365 vs $440 → Pittsburgh vs Los Angeles, CA $365 vs $395 → Pittsburgh vs Chicago, IL $365 vs $365 → Pittsburgh vs Houston, TX $365 vs $370 →

Philadelphia, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Executive Summary & Citability Passage