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

San Antonio, TX is approximately 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL in average monthly utilities ($310/mo vs $365/mo), saving approximately $55 per month or $660 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between San Antonio and Chicago?

Residential electricity in San Antonio is $0.129 per kWh served by CPS Energy, compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison).

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

In San Antonio, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $25.90/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $2.95 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 San Antonio vs Chicago?

San Antonio experiences 3100 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 52%, whereas Chicago records 1050 CDD with a summer spike of 38%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 1520 in San Antonio versus 6100 in Chicago.

San Antonio, TX vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

San Antonio Est.

$310/mo

Power:$127

Water & Sewer:$71

Gas & Trash:$89

Projected Variance

-$55/mo

San Antonio saves your household roughly $660 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	San Antonio, TX	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.129 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$10.50/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	CPS Energy Regulated Monopoly Utility	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.08 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$14.00/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$14.10/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$2.95	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$4.80	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $11.80/mo Volumetric: $4.60/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$26.50/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$6.50/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $120 – $200 Turn-on: $18.00	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	San Antonio, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	3,100 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	1,520 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+52% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Semi-arid to humid transitional climate; Edwards Aquifer conservation stages impact water tier surcharges.	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	San Antonio, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.1 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	CPS Energy Net Billing with residential cash rebates of $2,500-$3,000 for verified local installations.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	San Antonio Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ San Antonio Official Estimator

San Antonio, TX Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: san-antonio Open San Antonio 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: San Antonio vs Chicago

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

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

San Antonio, TX is approximately 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL in overall monthly utility bills ($310/mo vs $365/mo). A typical household saves around $55 per month or $660 annually.

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

Residential electricity in San Antonio costs $0.129 per kWh supplied by CPS Energy, 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 $33.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In San Antonio, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $14.10/mo plus $11.80/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $2.95/1k gal in San Antonio versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

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

San Antonio logs 3,100 Cooling Degree Days with a 52% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 1,520 in San Antonio versus 6,100 in Chicago.

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📍 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 →

San Antonio, TX vs Chicago, IL

San Antonio

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage