Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clearwater, FL and Thornton, CO

For one person, living costs are similar in Clearwater, FL and in Thornton, CO: $2,945 and $2,914 a month, rent and utilities included.

144

Cost of Living Index in Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater, FL Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Thornton, CO
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Thornton, CO Living Index

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Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,945

/mo nomad

Thornton, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,914

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Clearwater, FL and in Thornton, CO

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Clearwater, FL and in Thornton, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,945 in Clearwater, FL versus $2,914 in Thornton, CO.

Clearwater, FL $2,945
Thornton, CO $2,914

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,439 in Clearwater, FL versus $3,993 in Thornton, CO.

Clearwater, FL $4,439
Thornton, CO $3,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,933 in Clearwater, FL versus $5,073 in Thornton, CO.

Clearwater, FL $5,933
Thornton, CO $5,073

Living in Clearwater, FL is roughly 1% more expensive than in Thornton, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Clearwater, FL 117% above, Thornton, CO 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 $17.04

$20.39 $20.39

-16.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 $67.4

$85.3 $85.3

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 $11.54

$13.12 $13.12

-12.04%

Cappuccino

$4.77 $4.77

$6.14 $6.14

-22.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.89 $2.89

-21.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.34 $2.34

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$6.88 $6.88

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.16 $8.16

-1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.08 $1.08

-4.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.24 $3.24

13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.34 $4.34

-2.30%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$5.00 $5.00

-19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$14.58 $14.58

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.45 $13.45

10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 $19.92

$19.72 $19.72

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$5.14 $5.14

19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.14 $2.14

-30.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.38 $4.38

31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$4.64 $4.64

33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.66 $2.66

73.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.64 $2.64

46.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.38 $2.38

6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.45 $2.45

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$10.48 $10.48

-13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 $16.75

$19.19 $19.19

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.66 $2.66

-28.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.59 $4.59

4.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.57 $44.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.60 $3.60

-3.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.38 $1.38

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$24.69 $24.69

139.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.08 $1.08

-10.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.4K $28.4K

$27.8K $27.8K

1.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.9K $26.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$243 $243

$168 $168

44.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$55.5 $55.5

$78.0 $78.0

-28.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$86.9 $86.9

-12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 $40.23

$54.4 $54.4

-26.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.36 $25.36

$9.95 $9.95

154.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.90 $15.90

$14.84 $14.84

7.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,273 $1,273

$1,486 $1,486

-14.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$24.7K $24.7K

2.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$59.2 $59.2

26.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 $52.9

$40.40 $40.40

30.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$82.8 $82.8

29.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$126 $126

10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,750 $1,750

20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,556 $1,556

-2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 $3,589

$2,633 $2,633

36.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 $2,858

$2,019 $2,019

41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,472 $2,472

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,644 $3,644

$5,491 $5,491

-33.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.72

-1.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Clearwater, FL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Thornton, CO: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Clearwater, FL

$1.5K 51.7%

Thornton, CO

$1.6K 53.4% 2.3% $35

Groceries & Markets

Clearwater, FL

$457 15.5%

Thornton, CO

$443 15.2% 3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clearwater, FL

$374 12.7%

Thornton, CO

$333 11.4% 11.1% $42

Eating Out

Clearwater, FL

$289 9.8%

Thornton, CO

$348 11.9% 20.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Clearwater, FL

$169 5.7%

Thornton, CO

$139 4.8% 17.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Clearwater, FL

$72 2.5%

Thornton, CO

$84 2.9% 16.7% $12

Getting Around

Clearwater, FL

$63 2.1%

Thornton, CO

$10 * 0.4% 83.4% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Clearwater, FL and $1,750 in Thornton, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thornton, CO pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Clearwater, FL vs $85.0 in Thornton, CO. Groceries flip the comparison at $457 vs $443, with Thornton, CO cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 Thornton, CO

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

2 h behind Clearwater, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,742

139,478

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Clearwater, FL Thornton, CO 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Clearwater, FL
Thornton, CO

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Clearwater, FL vs Thornton, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thornton, CO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Thornton, CO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,105 in Clearwater, FL versus $1,750 in Thornton, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,273 in Clearwater, FL versus $1,486 in Thornton, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thornton, CO – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $67.0 in Clearwater, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Thornton, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Clearwater, FL and Thornton, CO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Thornton, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Clearwater, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.