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

Chicago, IL is approximately 22% cheaper than San Francisco, CA in average monthly utilities ($365/mo vs $445/mo), saving approximately $80 per month or $960 annually.

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

Residential electricity in San Francisco is $0.345 per kWh served by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison).

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

In San Francisco, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $52.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $7.10 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 Francisco vs Chicago?

San Francisco experiences 120 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 15%, whereas Chicago records 1050 CDD with a summer spike of 38%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 2850 in San Francisco versus 6100 in Chicago.

San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

San Francisco Est.

$445/mo

Power:$326

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$161

Projected Variance

+$80/mo

Chicago saves your household roughly $960 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 Francisco, CA	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.345 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$15.00/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Regulated Monopoly Utility	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$2.25 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$14.50/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$24.00/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$7.10	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$11.20	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $28.50/mo Volumetric: $9.20/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$45.00/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$12.00/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $250 – $400 Turn-on: $35.00	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 Francisco, CA	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	120 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	2,850 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+15% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Cool coastal maritime microclimate with persistent summer fog and mild winter temperatures.	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 Francisco, CA	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.1 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	CPUC Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0) with CleanPowerSF generation credits.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	San Francisco Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ San Francisco Official Estimator

San Francisco, CA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: san-francisco Open San Francisco 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 Francisco vs Chicago

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

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

Chicago, IL is approximately 22% cheaper than San Francisco, CA in overall monthly utility bills ($365/mo vs $445/mo). A typical household saves around $80 per month or $960 annually.

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

Residential electricity in San Francisco costs $0.345 per kWh supplied by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), 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 $183.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In San Francisco, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $24.00/mo plus $28.50/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $7.10/1k gal in San Francisco versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

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

San Francisco logs 120 Cooling Degree Days with a 15% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 2,850 in San Francisco versus 6,100 in Chicago.

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Chicago

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San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL

San Francisco

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage