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 Africa Northern Africa Western Africa Middle Africa Eastern Africa Southern Africa

Rank	City	Population	Living Index
1	Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo	17,032,322	76
2	Lagos, Nigeria	10,404,112	57
3	Cairo, Egypt	9,120,350	26
4	Abidjan, Ivory Coast	7,567,409	68
5	Dar es Salaam, Tanzania	5,383,728	43
6	Alexandria, Egypt	4,546,231	22
7	Johannesburg, South Africa	4,434,827	58
8	Cape Town, South Africa	3,740,026	64
9	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	3,500,000	70
10	Durban, South Africa	3,442,361	53
11	Algiers, Algeria	3,415,811	33
12	Casablanca, Morocco	3,215,935	51
13	Nairobi, Kenya	3,138,295	39
14	Ibadan, Nigeria	3,034,200	41
15	Khartoum, Sudan	2,682,431	44
16	Giza, Egypt	2,681,863	24
17	Mogadishu, Somalia	2,610,000	30
18	Luanda, Angola	2,600,000	62
19	Dakar, Senegal	2,396,800	67
20	Accra, Ghana	2,388,000	38
21	Tripoli, Libya	2,127,000	25
22	Douala, Cameroon	2,000,000	83
23	Hargeysa, Somalia	1,960,000	34
24	Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo	1,932,610	99
25	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	1,915,102	51
26	Meru, Kenya	1,833,000	24
27	Yaounde, Cameroon	1,817,524	37
28	Bamako, Mali	1,809,106	45
29	Lusaka, Zambia	1,742,979	43
30	Conakry, Guinea	1,660,973	69

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.