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
421	Rostov-on-Don, Russia	1,114,806	47
422	Kahramanmaras, Turkey	1,112,634	33
423	Omsk, Russia	1,110,836	54
424	Medina, Saudi Arabia	1,100,093	61
425	Oslo, Norway	1,098,061	158
426	Cologne, Germany	1,095,520	108
427	Sakarya, Turkey	1,094,481	46
428	Krasnoyarsk, Russia	1,092,851	51
429	N'Djamena, Chad	1,092,066	52
430	Muscat, Oman	1,090,797	71
431	Panama City, Panama	1,086,990	86
432	Zhucheng, China	1,086,222	33
433	Sendai, Japan	1,082,159	53
434	Qom, Iran	1,075,000	19
435	Ufa, Russia	1,075,000	54
436	Ranchi, India	1,074,000	19
437	Howrah, India	1,072,161	17
438	Changwon, South Korea	1,055,839	52
439	Denizli, Turkey	1,051,056	36
440	Voronezh, Russia	1,050,602	49
441	Coimbatore, India	1,050,000	17
442	Port Elizabeth, South Africa	1,050,000	58
443	Vijayawada, India	1,048,240	18
444	Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia	1,047,356	45
445	Managua, Nicaragua	1,039,290	45
446	Sao Luis, Brazil	1,037,775	39
447	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1,036,878	119
448	San Jose, CA, United States	1,035,317	200
449	Ogbomosho, Nigeria	1,032,000	22
450	Sanya, China	1,031,396	34

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

Last update: August 25, 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.