How Much Does It Cost to Take a Shower?

So, if you’re like me, you’ve always wondered how much it costs to take a shower. Luckily, for humanity, not many people are like me. Many of us started taking showers in a time and place where money wasn’t of any concern… our parents’ house. And much like cable TV and those sneakers you pump up with a little button on the tongue, we haven’t been able to shake these modern luxuries in our adult lives. But unlike cable TV and idiotic shoe purchases, few of us have the slightest clue how much it costs to take a soothing 10-minute shower.
 So I took the time to create this infographic that should bring you up to speed on what a kWh (Kilowatt Hour) is, and to learn fun facts like: Over 75% of the cost of a shower is in heating up the water. And while water is under one cent per gallon in most cities, the average American uses over 150 gallons per day. All my calculations assume the water is being heated with a 40-gallon electric water heater.

The cost to take a 10 minute shower in 20 U.S. cities:

Anchorage:    $1.07

Atlanta:    $1.11

Billings:    $0.58

Boston:    $1.10

Chicago:    $0.66

Dallas:    $0.68

Denver:    $0.64

District of Columbia:    $0.81

Honolulu:    $1.89

Las Vegas:    $0.70

Los Angeles:    $0.94

Memphis:    $0.55

Miami:    $0.67

Minneapolis:    $0.72

New York City:    $1.06

Omaha:    $0.49

San Francisco:    $1.10

Santa Fe:    $0.73

Seattle:    $0.89

St Louis:    $0.51

Now that I know how much showers cost, I’ve changed my shower routine around a little bit. I can shower with the water running for just 90 seconds. I turn the water on, and once it’s warm (very fast at our house) I get my hair and body wet, and instantly turn off the water. First I apply the shampoo, and then the soap. Shampoo can get on your body, but many people don’t want soap in their hair. Once I’m lathered, it takes about 60 seconds to rinse. There are many excuses that make this impossible for people, mainly from women who shave in the shower…I totally get it. But for men who insist on shaving in the shower… that’s what sinks are for.

With this infographic, you'll also learn a lot about electricity, the price of electricity around the nation, and how much a kWh is. And finally, you'll be able to calculate the cost of operating common electric appliances for tasks like baking a pizza, running a ceiling fan or charging an electric car (ok, maybe not so common). Enjoy!

***Update*** It has come to my attention that my math is wrong. Instead of a $1.00 1 liter bottle of water being 40,000 times more expensive... It's 40,000% more expensive (or 400x). I never was good at math.