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 Insular Oceania Antarctica

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
151	Bursa, Turkey	3,238,618	53
152	Casablanca, Morocco	3,215,935	51
153	Zhenjiang, China	3,210,418	29
154	Zhongshan, China	3,209,600	32
155	Faisalabad, Pakistan	3,203,846	17
156	Nairobi, Kenya	3,138,295	39
157	Pune, India	3,115,431	29
158	Varanasi, India	3,100,000	15
159	Athens, Greece	3,090,508	87
160	Jaipur, India	3,073,400	22
161	Ibadan, Nigeria	3,034,200	41
162	Huainan, China	3,033,528	36
163	Mashhad, Iran	3,001,184	24
164	Qinhuangdao, China	2,987,605	36
165	Tashkent, Uzbekistan	2,956,384	47
166	Heyuan, China	2,953,019	38
167	Quezon City, Philippines	2,936,116	45
168	Kyiv, Ukraine	2,908,249	49
169	Huzhou, China	2,893,542	36
170	Buenos Aires, Argentina	2,891,082	70
171	Jingmen, China	2,873,687	36
172	Haikou, China	2,873,358	39
173	Incheon, South Korea	2,870,545	68
174	Yinchuan, China	2,859,074	35
175	Rome, Italy	2,848,084	101
176	Brasilia, Brazil	2,817,381	43
177	Weihai, China	2,804,800	30
178	Kaohsiung, Taiwan	2,777,873	58
179	Taichung, Taiwan	2,767,239	60
180	Kanpur, India	2,767,031	18

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.