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
181	Surabaya, Indonesia	2,765,487	31
182	Xiangtan, China	2,748,552	33
183	Chicago, IL, United States	2,746,388	145
184	Toronto, Canada	2,731,571	123
185	Alanya, Turkey	2,722,103	50
186	Antalya, Turkey	2,722,103	56
187	Linyi, China	2,710,000	27
188	Baotou, China	2,709,378	35
189	Jinzhou, China	2,703,853	33
190	Osaka, Japan	2,691,185	61
191	Khartoum, Sudan	2,682,431	27
192	Giza, Egypt	2,681,863	22
193	Quito, Ecuador	2,671,191	44
194	Taipei, Taiwan	2,635,286	62
195	Mogadishu, Somalia	2,610,000	28
196	Luanda, Angola	2,600,000	45
197	Chittagong, Bangladesh	2,592,439	17
198	Cali, Colombia	2,568,609	50
199	Chaozhou, China	2,568,387	29
200	Longyan, China	2,559,545	21
201	Daegu, South Korea	2,528,933	69
202	Visakhapatnam, India	2,526,000	17
203	Puning, China	2,508,900	33
204	Medellin, Colombia	2,486,723	78
205	Guatemala City, Guatemala	2,450,212	62
206	Fortaleza, Brazil	2,428,708	41
207	Salvador, Brazil	2,417,678	43
208	Nagpur, India	2,405,700	26
209	Queens, NY, United States	2,405,464	162
210	Dakar, Senegal	2,396,800	67

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.