Most and Least Affordable Cities by City Size

Explore how affordability varies by city size around the world. This ranking compares the most and least affordable cities within small, mid-sized, and large population categories, helping you understand how urban scale impacts cost of living. Use the interactive table and map to filter cities by size group and compare Cost of Living Index values. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly small city or evaluating affordability in major global hubs, this page provides a clear, data-driven comparison.

Lowest

Highest

Region Worldwide Europe Asia North America South America Africa Oceania

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
361	Dallas, TX, United States	1,302,638	146
362	Mombasa, Kenya	1,300,000	31
363	Samsun, Turkey	1,295,927	50
364	Guarulhos, Brazil	1,291,771	41
365	South Tangerang, Indonesia	1,290,322	40
366	Rajkot, India	1,286,678	19
367	Sofia, Bulgaria	1,286,383	70
368	Port-au-Prince, Haiti	1,275,000	101
369	Antananarivo, Madagascar	1,274,225	29
370	Soweto, South Africa	1,270,000	50
371	Calgary, Canada	1,267,344	124
372	Can Tho, Vietnam	1,258,900	34
373	Zapopan, Mexico	1,257,547	61
374	Kazan, Russia	1,257,341	55
375	Prague, Czech Republic	1,251,933	100
376	Da Nang, Vietnam	1,245,200	35
377	Adelaide, Australia	1,245,011	116
378	Nizhny Novgorod, Russia	1,244,254	55
379	Maputo, Mozambique	1,244,227	55
380	Tbilisi, Georgia	1,241,700	60
381	Yiwu, China	1,234,015	36
382	Liaocheng, China	1,230,000	34
383	Shymkent, Kazakhstan	1,222,055	34
384	An Najaf, Iraq	1,221,248	34
385	Maoming, China	1,217,000	35
386	Suwon, South Korea	1,203,000	69
387	Hiroshima, Japan	1,200,754	52
388	Chelyabinsk, Russia	1,200,719	53
389	Belgrade, Serbia	1,197,714	76
390	Batam, Indonesia	1,196,396	34

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

Last update: February 24, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Affordability is based on the Cost of Living Index, which compares average expenses such as housing, food, transportation, and services. Cities are grouped by population size to allow fair comparisons within similar urban categories.

Larger cities often have higher housing demand, stronger job markets, and greater infrastructure costs, which can increase living expenses. Smaller cities may offer lower housing and daily costs but sometimes fewer economic opportunities.

Not always. While small cities are often more affordable, factors like salary levels, job availability, quality of life, and services should also be considered. This ranking helps you compare affordability within each city size category.