Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

Thornton, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,914
/mo nomad
Clearwater, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,945
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$17.04 $17.04
19.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.3 $85.3
$67.4 $67.4
26.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 $13.12
$11.54 $11.54
13.69%
Cappuccino
$6.14 $6.14
$4.77 $4.77
28.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 $2.89
$2.27 $2.27
27.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.83 $1.83
27.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 $6.88
$5.59 $5.59
23.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 $8.16
$8.02 $8.02
1.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.03 $1.03
4.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.24 $3.24
$3.68 $3.68
-11.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.24 $4.24
2.36%
Eggs
$5.00 $5.00
$4.03 $4.03
24.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.58 $14.58
$11.09 $11.09
31.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$14.91 $14.91
-9.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.72 $19.72
$19.92 $19.92
-1.00%
Apples (1kg)
$5.14 $5.14
$6.12 $6.12
-16.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.49 $1.49
43.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$5.78 $5.78
-24.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.64 $4.64
$6.18 $6.18
-24.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$4.62 $4.62
-42.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.64 $2.64
$3.86 $3.86
-31.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.54 $2.54
-6.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.60 $2.60
-5.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.48 $10.48
$9.07 $9.07
15.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.19 $19.19
$16.75 $16.75
14.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.89 $1.89
40.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 $4.59
$4.81 $4.81
-4.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.92 $2.92
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.57 $44.57
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 $3.60
$3.47 $3.47
3.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 $1.38
$0.69 $0.69
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.69 $24.69
$59.1 $59.1
-58.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.97 $0.97
11.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$28.4K $28.4K
-1.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$26.9K $26.9K
-3.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 $168
$243 $243
-30.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$78.0 $78.0
$55.5 $55.5
40.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.9 $86.9
$75.7 $75.7
14.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.4 $54.4
$40.23 $40.23
35.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.95 $9.95
$25.36 $25.36
-60.76%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$15.90 $15.90
-6.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,486 $1,486
$1,273 $1,273
16.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K $24.7K
$25.3K $25.3K
-2.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.2 $59.2
$74.7 $74.7
-20.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.40 $40.40
$52.9 $52.9
-23.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 $82.8
$107 $107
-22.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 $126
$140 $140
-9.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,750 $1,750
$2,105 $2,105
-16.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,556 $1,556
$1,522 $1,522
2.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,633 $2,633
$3,589 $3,589
-26.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,019 $2,019
$2,858 $2,858
-29.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,896 $2,896
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,472 $2,472
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thornton, CO
Clearwater, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,491 $5,491
$3,644 $3,644
50.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
6.59
1.97%

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

Last update for Thornton, CO: October 20, 2026

Last update for Clearwater, FL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thornton, CO
$1.6K
Clearwater, FL
$1.5K 2.2% $35
Groceries & Markets
Thornton, CO
$443
Clearwater, FL
$457 3.1% $14
Eating Out
Thornton, CO
$348
Clearwater, FL
$289 17% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thornton, CO
$333
Clearwater, FL
$374 12.5% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Thornton, CO
$139
Clearwater, FL
$169 21.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Thornton, CO
$84
Clearwater, FL
$72 14.3% $12
Getting Around
Thornton, CO
$10 *
Clearwater, FL
$63 503% $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 $1,750 in Thornton, CO and $2,105 in Clearwater, FL. 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: $85.0 in Thornton, CO vs $67.0 in Clearwater, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $443 vs $457, with Thornton, CO cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Thornton, CO
🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL
🕒 Local time
05:39 5:39 AM
07:39 7:39 AM
2 h ahead of Thornton, CO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
139,478
107,742
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thornton, CO Clearwater, FL 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Thornton, CO
  • Clearwater, FL

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
Thornton, CO vs Clearwater, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clearwater, FL cheaper than Thornton, CO?
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.
Where can you earn more: Thornton, CO or Clearwater, FL?
Average pay runs 51% higher in Thornton, CO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Thornton, CO and Clearwater, FL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,750 in Thornton, CO versus $2,105 in Clearwater, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,486 in Thornton, CO versus $1,273 in Clearwater, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Thornton, CO or in Clearwater, FL?
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.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Thornton, CO or in Clearwater, FL?
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.
Is it better to live in Thornton, CO or in Clearwater, FL?
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.
Which city is safer, Thornton, CO or Clearwater, FL?
Safety-wise, Thornton, CO and Clearwater, FL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
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.

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