Is it cheaper to live in Tampa or Jacksonville for monthly utilities?

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Tampa, FL in average monthly utilities ($345/mo vs $362/mo), saving approximately $17 per month or $204 annually.

What is the average water and sewer bill in Tampa compared to Jacksonville?

In Tampa, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $27.30/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $2.85 per 1,000 gallons. In Jacksonville, baseline fixed meter fees are $45.50/month with Tier 1 water at $2.90 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Tampa vs Jacksonville?

Tampa experiences 3650 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 54%, whereas Jacksonville records 2850 CDD with a summer spike of 62%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 580 in Tampa versus 1350 in Jacksonville.

Tampa, FL vs Jacksonville, FL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Tampa and Jacksonville.

Tampa Est.

$362/mo

Power:$155

Water & Sewer:$77

Gas & Trash:$114

Projected Variance

+$17/mo

Jacksonville saves your household roughly $204 per year at this consumption tier.

Jacksonville Est.

$345/mo

Power:$140

Water & Sewer:$107

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	Tampa, FL	Jacksonville, FL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.156 / kWh	$0.142 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$15.00/mo	$12.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Tampa Electric (TECO) Regulated Monopoly Utility	JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) Regulated Monopoly Utility
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.45 / Therm	$1.32 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$16.00/mo	$15.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$12.80/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$2.85	$2.90
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$4.90	$5.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $14.50/mo Volumetric: $5.40/1k gal	Base: $27.50/mo Volumetric: $7.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$33.10/mo	$25.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$8.90/mo	$6.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $175 – $290 Turn-on: $25.00	Deposit: $150 – $275 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	Tampa, FL	Jacksonville, FL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	3,650 CDD	2,850 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	580 HDD	1,350 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+54% Summer Spike	+62% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Tropical humid climate where cooling runs 10 months out of the year with intense afternoon thunderstorm humidity.	Northeast Florida subtropical climate with mild winters and humid summers with tropical storm exposure.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

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

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Tampa, FL	Jacksonville, FL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.3 hrs/day	5.1 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065 full 1:1 net metering with TECO bill credits and 100% state property tax exemption.	JEA Distributed Generation Policy with fuel-rate export compensation.
City Solar Calculator	Tampa Solar Estimator →	Jacksonville Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Tampa Official Estimator

Tampa, FL Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: tampa Open Tampa Hub →

🏙️ Jacksonville Official Estimator

Jacksonville, FL Utility Calculator

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

ZIP: jacksonville Open Jacksonville Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Tampa vs Jacksonville

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

Is it cheaper to live in Tampa or Jacksonville for utilities? ▼

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Tampa, FL in overall monthly utility bills ($345/mo vs $362/mo). A typical household saves around $17 per month or $204 annually.

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

Residential electricity in Tampa costs $0.156 per kWh supplied by Tampa Electric (TECO), compared to $0.142 per kWh in Jacksonville served by JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $14.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Tampa and Jacksonville? ▼

In Tampa, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $12.80/mo plus $14.50/mo sewer baseline. In Jacksonville, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $27.50/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $2.85/1k gal in Tampa versus $2.90/1k gal in Jacksonville.

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

Tampa logs 3,650 Cooling Degree Days with a 54% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Jacksonville records 2,850 CDD with a 62% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 580 in Tampa versus 1,350 in Jacksonville.

Related Metro Comparisons

Explore Other City Comparisons

Compare Tampa or Jacksonville against neighboring cities and prominent US metro destinations.

📍 Popular Comparisons for Tampa

Tampa vs Miami, FL $362 vs $385 → Tampa vs New York City, NY $362 vs $440 → Tampa vs Los Angeles, CA $362 vs $395 → Tampa vs Chicago, IL $362 vs $365 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Jacksonville

Jacksonville vs Miami, FL $345 vs $385 → Jacksonville vs New York City, NY $345 vs $440 → Jacksonville vs Los Angeles, CA $345 vs $395 → Jacksonville vs Chicago, IL $345 vs $365 →

Tampa, FL vs Jacksonville, FL

Tampa

Jacksonville

Executive Summary & Citability Passage