Is it cheaper to live in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia 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 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia?

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

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

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 Philadelphia, baseline fixed meter fees are $37.00/month with Tier 1 water at $4.60 per 1,000 gallons.

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

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

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

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

Pittsburgh Est.

$365/mo

Power:$169

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$72

Projected Variance

-$15/mo

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

Philadelphia Est.

$380/mo

Power:$172

Water & Sewer:$108

Gas & Trash:$87

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

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

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Pittsburgh, PA	Philadelphia, PA
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.174 / kWh	$0.178 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$12.00/mo	$11.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Duquesne Light Company Deregulated REP Market	PECO Energy Company Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.22 / Therm	$1.45 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$17.50/mo	$22.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$26.50/mo	$17.50/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.90	$4.60
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$7.80	$6.90
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $35.00/mo Volumetric: $9.80/1k gal	Base: $19.50/mo Volumetric: $7.20/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$0.00/mo	$0.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$8.50/mo	$15.00/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	Philadelphia, PA
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	880 CDD	1,350 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	5,750 HDD	4,700 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+32% Summer Spike	+42% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Humid continental climate with freezing, cloudy winters and warm, humid summers.	Four-season Mid-Atlantic climate with PA PUC deregulated electric choice and storm water billing.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

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

🏙️ 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 →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia

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

Is it cheaper to live in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia 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 Pittsburgh costs $0.174 per kWh supplied by Duquesne Light Company, compared to $0.178 per kWh in Philadelphia served by PECO Energy 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 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia? ▼

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

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, Philadelphia records 1,350 CDD with a 42% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 5,750 in Pittsburgh versus 4,700 in Philadelphia.

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Philadelphia

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Pittsburgh, PA vs Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Executive Summary & Citability Passage