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

Pittsburgh and Chicago have identical average monthly utility costs of $365 per month.

How do residential electric rates compare between Pittsburgh and Chicago?

Residential electricity in Pittsburgh is $0.174 per kWh served by Duquesne Light Company, compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison).

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

In Pittsburgh, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $61.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $4.90 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 Pittsburgh vs Chicago?

Pittsburgh experiences 880 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 32%, whereas Chicago records 1050 CDD with a summer spike of 38%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 5750 in Pittsburgh versus 6100 in Chicago.

Pittsburgh, PA vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

Pittsburgh Est.

$365/mo

Power:$169

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$72

Projected Variance

+$0/mo

Chicago saves your household roughly $0 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	Pittsburgh, PA	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.174 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$12.00/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Duquesne Light Company Deregulated REP Market	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.22 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$17.50/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$26.50/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.90	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$7.80	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $35.00/mo Volumetric: $9.80/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$0.00/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$8.50/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $160 – $280 Turn-on: $20.00	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	Pittsburgh, PA	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	880 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	5,750 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+32% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Humid continental climate with freezing, cloudy winters and warm, humid summers.	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	Pittsburgh, PA	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.1 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	PA PUC 1:1 retail net metering up to 50 kW with annual credit cashout.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	Pittsburgh Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ 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 →

🏙️ 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: Pittsburgh vs Chicago

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

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

Both Pittsburgh and Chicago have identical estimated utility burdens averaging $365 per month.

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

Residential electricity in Pittsburgh costs $0.174 per kWh supplied by Duquesne Light Company, 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 $12.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In Pittsburgh, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $26.50/mo plus $35.00/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $4.90/1k gal in Pittsburgh versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

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

Pittsburgh logs 880 Cooling Degree Days with a 32% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 5,750 in Pittsburgh versus 6,100 in Chicago.

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Pittsburgh, PA vs Chicago, IL

Pittsburgh

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage