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
121	Chuzhou, China	3,987,054	32
122	Yokohama, Japan	3,777,491	61
123	Berlin, Germany	3,769,962	119
124	Binzhou, China	3,748,500	35
125	Cape Town, South Africa	3,740,026	74
126	Yulin, China	3,700,000	33
127	Bulacan, Philippines	3,700,000	30
128	Lanzhou, China	3,688,400	33
129	Wuhu, China	3,644,420	31
130	Jilin, China	3,623,713	34
131	Busan, South Korea	3,586,079	72
132	Kunming, Yunnan, China	3,583,000	36
133	Jiaxing, China	3,563,700	30
134	Jiaozuo, China	3,539,860	31
135	Xiamen, China	3,531,000	38
136	Taiyuan, China	3,525,300	27
137	Guayaquil, Ecuador	3,500,000	52
138	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	3,500,000	60
139	Hohhot, China	3,446,100	34
140	Durban, South Africa	3,442,361	54
141	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	3,430,697	64
142	Hanzhong, China	3,416,196	31
143	Algiers, Algeria	3,415,811	28
144	Madrid, Spain	3,332,035	108
145	Datong, China	3,318,057	33
146	Bengbu, China	3,296,408	30
147	Kabul, Afghanistan	3,289,000	23
148	Caracas, Venezuela	3,274,000	61
149	Indore, India	3,272,335	19
150	Pyongyang, North Korea	3,255,288	12

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.