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How much does it cost to run a Wi-Fi router?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a Wi-Fi router costs about $16.07 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.2¢
- Per day of use
- 4.4¢
- Per month
- $1.34
- Per year
- $16.07
Assumption: 10 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 88 kWh a year. Router plus modem. Mesh systems multiply this by the number of nodes.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | 95.7¢ | $11.48 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | 96.7¢ | $11.61 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | 97.6¢ | $11.71 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | 98.5¢ | $11.82 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $1.03 | $12.33 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $1.03 | $12.37 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $1.03 | $12.37 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $1.04 | $12.49 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $1.05 | $12.55 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $1.05 | $12.59 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $1.08 | $12.91 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $1.09 | $13.03 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $1.09 | $13.06 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $1.10 | $13.19 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $1.10 | $13.23 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $1.11 | $13.26 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $1.11 | $13.30 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $1.11 | $13.35 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $1.12 | $13.46 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $1.13 | $13.53 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $1.14 | $13.62 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $1.15 | $13.76 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $1.16 | $13.95 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $1.16 | $13.96 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $1.18 | $14.21 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $1.19 | $14.30 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $1.19 | $14.33 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.20 | $14.37 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $1.25 | $15.01 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $1.26 | $15.08 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $1.28 | $15.34 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $1.28 | $15.35 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $1.40 | $16.81 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $1.41 | $16.90 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $1.43 | $17.13 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $1.45 | $17.42 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $1.59 | $19.04 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $1.59 | $19.13 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $1.68 | $20.14 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $1.78 | $21.30 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $1.78 | $21.37 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $1.78 | $21.41 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $1.82 | $21.86 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $1.97 | $23.66 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $2.06 | $24.71 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $2.13 | $25.61 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $2.15 | $25.83 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $2.16 | $25.92 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $2.16 | $25.94 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $2.54 | $30.43 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $3.85 | $46.18 |
Cutting the number down
- Small and always-on is the pattern worth understanding: 10 W around the clock is 88 kWh a year, more than a microwave.
- Mesh nodes each carry their own around-the-clock draw, so an extra node is an extra annual line item.
Questions
- How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use?
- About 10 W while running.
- How much does a Wi-Fi router cost per month?
- About $1.34 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $16.07 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $11.48 a year, versus $46.18 in Hawaii — a spread of $34.70.