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
241	Kunshan, China	2,092,496	36
242	Nanyang, China	2,085,680	36
243	Kocaeli, Turkey	2,079,072	50
244	Manaus, Brazil	2,063,689	43
245	Perth, Australia	2,043,762	116
246	Dongying, China	2,035,300	36
247	Gujranwala, Pakistan	2,027,001	18
248	Phnom Penh, Cambodia	2,009,264	47
249	Douala, Cameroon	2,000,000	83
250	Maracaibo, Venezuela	2,000,000	37
251	Minsk, Belarus	1,992,862	44
252	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1,982,112	53
253	Sapporo, Japan	1,973,395	72
254	Huaibei, China	1,970,265	36
255	Peshawar, Pakistan	1,970,042	19
256	Isfahan, Iran	1,961,260	24
257	Hargeysa, Somalia	1,960,000	34
258	Putian, China	1,954,000	36
259	Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo	1,932,610	99
260	Luoyang, China	1,926,000	31
261	Vienna, Austria	1,920,949	115
262	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	1,915,102	51
263	Tainan, Taiwan	1,886,033	54
264	Bucharest, Romania	1,883,425	67
265	Multan, Pakistan	1,871,843	21
266	Yantai, China	1,871,000	37
267	Warsaw, Poland	1,861,599	101
268	Thane, India	1,841,488	29
269	Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic	1,836,778	45
270	Meru, Kenya	1,833,000	24

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.