U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Side-by-side running cost

Window Air Conditioner vs Portable Air Conditioner: Which Costs Less to Run?

The short answer

Per hour of use, a window air conditioner ($0.16/hr) costs about 25% less to run than a portable air conditioner ($0.22/hr) at the US average rate of 18.3¢/kWh. At typical use (8 hours a day vs 8 hours a day), that’s $40.10 vs $53.47 a month.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Cheaper to run

Window Air Conditioner

Typical power
900W
Per hour
$0.16
Per month
$40.10
Per year
$481
Typical use
8 hours a day
Full window air conditioner breakdown

Portable Air Conditioner

Typical power
1,200W
Per hour
$0.22
Per month
$53.47
Per year
$642
Typical use
8 hours a day
Full portable air conditioner breakdown

Window Air Conditioner vs Portable Air Conditioner in the 10 largest states

Monthly cost at typical use and each state’s average residential rate.

StateWindow Air ConditionerPortable Air ConditionerDifference
California $73.61 $98.15 $24.54
Texas $34.78 $46.37 $11.59
Florida $32.92 $43.89 $10.97
New York $65.49 $87.32 $21.83
Pennsylvania $47.57 $63.43 $15.86
Illinois $42.10 $56.13 $14.03
Ohio $42.60 $56.80 $14.20
Georgia $35.64 $47.51 $11.88
North Carolina $33.20 $44.27 $11.07
Michigan $50.49 $67.31 $16.83

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is a window air conditioner cheaper to run than a portable air conditioner?

Per hour of use, a window air conditioner ($0.16/hr) costs about 25% less to run than a portable air conditioner ($0.22/hr) at the US average rate of 18.3¢/kWh. At typical use (8 hours a day vs 8 hours a day), that’s $40.10 vs $53.47 a month.

How much power does a window air conditioner use compared with a portable air conditioner?

A window air conditioner typically draws 900W, while a portable air conditioner draws about 1,200W.

More comparisons

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