How much does a microwave cost per month in California?

About $3.17 a month, assuming 1,200 W, 15 minutes a day, 365 days a year at 34.74¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does a microwave use?

Roughly 110 kWh a year under these assumptions, or 1.20 kWh for every hour it runs.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

California has the 2nd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $20.08 a year.

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Cost to run a microwave in California (June 2026 rates)

At 34.74¢ per kilowatt-hour — California's average residential price in June 2026 — running a microwave costs $38.04 a year. That is 89% more than the national average of $20.08. California's residential rate is up 3.4% from June 2025, which moves this appliance from $36.78 to $38.04 a year.

Per hour: 41.7¢
Per day of use: 10.4¢
Per month: $3.17
Per year: $38.04

Assumption: 1,200 W, 15 minutes a day, 365 days a year — 110 kWh a year. Draw while cooking; the 1,100 W on the label is delivered power and the wall draw is a little higher. Assumes 15 minutes a day of actual use. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

How California compares

California pays 34.74¢/kWh, the 2nd most expensive residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $17.96 more a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same microwave costs $14.36 a year in Nevada and $57.73 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $43.37 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
New York	29.49¢	$2.69	$32.29
Maine	29.59¢	$2.70	$32.40
Massachusetts	29.61¢	$2.70	$32.42
California	34.74¢	$3.17	$38.04
Hawaii	52.72¢	$4.81	$57.73

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for a microwave.

What else costs about the same in California

Incandescent bulb$38.04 a year in CA Electric kettle$38.04 a year in CA Box fan$39.08 a year in CA

Cutting the number down

Reheating in a microwave is close to the cheapest way to put heat into food, because nearly all of it lands in the food rather than the air.
The clock display draws a couple of watts around the clock, which over a year is a meaningful share of a lightly used microwave's total.

Questions

How much does a microwave cost per month in California?: About $3.17 a month, assuming 1,200 W, 15 minutes a day, 365 days a year at 34.74¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does a microwave use?: Roughly 110 kWh a year under these assumptions, or 1.20 kWh for every hour it runs.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: California has the 2nd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $20.08 a year.