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

Seattle, WA is approximately 20% cheaper than San Francisco, CA in average monthly utilities ($370/mo vs $445/mo), saving approximately $75 per month or $900 annually.

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

Residential electricity in San Francisco is $0.345 per kWh served by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), compared to $0.122 per kWh in Seattle served by Seattle City Light.

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

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 Seattle, baseline fixed meter fees are $56.50/month with Tier 1 water at $6.20 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in San Francisco vs Seattle?

San Francisco experiences 120 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 15%, whereas Seattle records 220 CDD with a summer spike of 18%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 2850 in San Francisco versus 4700 in Seattle.

San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

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

San Francisco Est.

$445/mo

Power:$326

Water & Sewer:$150

Gas & Trash:$161

Projected Variance

+$75/mo

Seattle saves your household roughly $900 per year at this consumption tier.

Seattle Est.

$370/mo

Power:$118

Water & Sewer:$193

Gas & Trash:$119

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	Seattle, WA
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.345 / kWh	$0.122 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$15.00/mo	$8.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Regulated Monopoly Utility	Seattle City Light Regulated Monopoly Utility
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$2.25 / Therm	$1.35 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$14.50/mo	$14.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$24.00/mo	$22.50/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$7.10	$6.20
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$11.20	$9.40
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $28.50/mo Volumetric: $9.20/1k gal	Base: $34.00/mo Volumetric: $16.50/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$45.00/mo	$44.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$12.00/mo	$38.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $250 – $400 Turn-on: $35.00	Deposit: $150 – $250 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	Seattle, WA
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	120 CDD	220 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	2,850 HDD	4,700 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+15% Summer Spike	+18% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Cool coastal maritime microclimate with persistent summer fog and mild winter temperatures.	Oceanic temperate maritime climate with heavy winter cloud cover, high sewer/stormwater costs, and low hydro electric rates.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.1 hrs/day	3.9 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	CPUC Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0) with CleanPowerSF generation credits.	Washington State RCW 80.60 1:1 net metering with April 30 annual true-up.
City Solar Calculator	San Francisco Solar Estimator →	Seattle 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 →

🏙️ Seattle Official Estimator

Seattle, WA Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: seattle Open Seattle Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: San Francisco vs Seattle

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

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

Seattle, WA is approximately 20% cheaper than San Francisco, CA in overall monthly utility bills ($370/mo vs $445/mo). A typical household saves around $75 per month or $900 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 $0.122 per kWh in Seattle served by Seattle City Light. For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $223.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

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

In San Francisco, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $24.00/mo plus $28.50/mo sewer baseline. In Seattle, the base water fee is $22.50/mo with $34.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $7.10/1k gal in San Francisco versus $6.20/1k gal in Seattle.

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, Seattle records 220 CDD with a 18% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 2,850 in San Francisco versus 4,700 in Seattle.

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San Francisco vs Los Angeles, CA $445 vs $395 → San Francisco vs San Diego, CA $445 vs $465 → San Francisco vs New York City, NY $445 vs $440 → San Francisco vs Chicago, IL $445 vs $365 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Seattle

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

San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA

San Francisco

Seattle

Executive Summary & Citability Passage